deeproot May 1, 2017
Real Estate
This may not be the most thrilling step in selling your house, but it’s absolutely necessary. You won’t be able to transfer the deed to the buyer if your home doesn’t meet ORS (Oregon Revised Statutes) laws. We get asked about this topic quite a bit and it’s a good idea to take care of it right away. Here is what you’ll need to do in order to meet ORS smoke alarm laws.
The state of Oregon requires smoke alarms or detectors on every level of your home, in all bedrooms and in all hallways giving access to bedrooms, but there are a couple of stipulations depending on the layout of your home.
Where sleeping areas are located on an upper level, the smoke alarm or smoke detector shall be installed in an accessible location as close as practical to the center of the ceiling directly over the stairway. Where sleeping areas are widely separated (i.e., on different levels or opposite ends of the dwelling unit) and/or where a single smoke alarm or smoke detector will not adequately service all sleeping areas, a smoke alarm or smoke detector shall be installed adjacent to each sleeping area. (ORS 837-045-0050)
You do not need to install alarms in kitchens, bathrooms, garages, and unheated areas where moisture, steam, frost, cooking vapors, and exhaust fumes could cause a nuisance alarm.
If you’d like to install a smoke alarm in your kitchen, the ORS recommends installing one at least 10 feet away from cooking appliances. You should also pick up a detector with a hush or photoelectric feature.
If you’re wondering where on the wall to actually hang your alarms, this article by The National Fire Protection Agency does a great job of explaining ideal placement. They cover all types of home layouts from pitched ceilings to basements.
ORS doesn’t require a certain kind of smoke alarm, but there are several varieties including ionization, photoelectric and combination alarms. Ionization alarms protect better against visible flames while photoelectric alarms are more sensitive to smoldering fires.
The Oregon State Fire Marshall made up this handy chart explaining different options.
You do not need to install CO alarms unless your home has a CO source. The ORS describes a source as follows:
A heater, fireplace, appliance (i.e., furnace, dryer, or water heater), or cooking source (i.e., stove, oven) that uses coal, kerosene, petroleum products, wood, or other fuels (i.e., oil or natural gas) that emit CO as a by-product of combustion; or an attached garage with an opening that communicates directly with a living space. (OAR 837-047-0110)
You’ll need install CO alarms each level of your home with bedrooms. The alarm cannot be more than 15 feet away from any bedroom door or you’ll need an additional one.
There are plenty of smoke/CO combination alarms available, so you shouldn’t have any trouble killing two birds with one stone. See the image at the top of this article for ideal placements of CO and smoke alarms.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. You can also consult the ORS website below.
ORS Smoke Alarm Information Center
ORS Carbon Monoxide Alarm Center
Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue
The National Fire Protection Agency
Stay up to date on the latest real estate trends.
Get your home ready for the winter.
Take the stress out of moving!
Transform your backyard into a breathtaking oasis!
How to Keep Your Sanity Intact
Hiring a design consultant for staging
10 Reasons Why NW Portland is Simply Amazing
Top 10 Checklists
10 REASONS TO LOVE LIVING IN SW WASHINGTON
10 REASONS TO LOVE LIVING IN NORTH PORTLAND
Buying, Selling? Let’s Talk!