§ 238. Stair and entrance halls. All stair and entrance halls in
tenements shall be constructed as provided in this section.

1. In tenements erected after April twelfth, nineteen hundred one:

a. On every story there shall be fireproof doors and assemblies with
the doors self-closing separating every such stair and entrance hall
from all non-fireproof parts of the tenement.

b. There shall be no transom, sash or similar opening of any kind from
such stair and entrance halls to any other part of the tenement.

c. If such tenements are non-fireproof, and are occupied by three
families or more on any story or are five stories or more in height, the
stair and entrance halls shall be enclosed with brick walls, except as
provided in paragraph a of subdivision three.

2. In tenements erected after April fourteenth, nineteen hundred
three:

a. Every entrance hall shall be at least three feet six inches in
clear width from the entrance up to and including the stair enclosure,
and beyond that at least three feet in clear width. If such entrance
hall is the only entrance to two stairs or more, that portion of the
hall between the entrance and the first stair, including the stair
enclosure, shall be at least five feet three inches in clear width.

b. Such halls shall comply with the requirements of sections two
hundred thirty-four to two hundred thirty-seven inclusive as to
construction of stair and entrance halls, except that if such tenements
are fireproof entrance hall enclosures need only withstand a fire test
of two and one-half hours and angle iron construction may be substituted
for brick walls.

c. In every such tenement access shall be provided from a street to
the yard either in a direct line or through a court.

d. If such tenements are occupied by not more than two families on any
story and are not more than four stories in height, the floors of the
stair and entrance halls shall be fireproof or filled in between the
floor beams with at least five inches of concrete deafening. The stairs
shall be fireproof, or may be of wood provided the soffits of the stairs
are fire-retarded, or covered with plaster board at least one-half inch
thick, with all joints true and well pointed. The stair and entrance
halls in such tenements shall be enclosed on all sides with brick walls
or with partitions of angle iron and fireproof blocks four inches or
more in thickness, except as provided in paragraph e.

e. If such tenements are occupied by not more than two families on any
story and are not more than three stories in height, the stair and
entrance halls may be enclosed in wood stud partitions, fire-retarded on
both sides, or covered with plaster board at least one-half inch thick,
with all joints true and well pointed and with the spaces between the
studs filled in with brick to the height of the floor beams.

3. In tenements erected after April eighteenth, nineteen hundred
twelve:

a. If such tenements are occupied by three or more families on any
story, or are five stories or more in height, the stairs and entrance
halls shall be fireproof throughout and all stairs provided with
handrails, except that stair treads two inches or more in thickness and
handrails may be of hard wood. All windows in such halls shall be
fireproof and, except for windows opening on a street in a tenement six
stories or less in height, shall be glazed with wire glass. Such halls
shall be enclosed with brick walls, except that one or more sides may be
left open to a street, yard or court.

b. Public halls which are more than forty feet in length and are used
as a means of egress from four or more apartments shall be fireproof
throughout and doors opening therefrom and their assemblies shall be
fireproof with the doors self-closing.

4. In old-law tenements four stories or more in height:

a. Whenever the entrance halls of any such tenements adjoin they shall
be separated by a fire-retarded wall.

b. The walls and ceilings of every entrance hall and stair hall, and
every public hall connected therewith, and the soffit of every stair
shall be fire-retarded. In all such halls all wood wainscoting except a
flat base and stair stringers ten inches or less in height, and all wood
railings, balustrades and newel posts shall be removed completely and
replaced with metal or other hard incombustible materials of such size
and secured in such manner as may be approved by the department, except
that handrails may be of hard wood.

c. Every door opening into any entrance hall or stair, or into any
public hall connected therewith, shall be self-closing; every glazed
opening or glazed panel in such a door shall be glazed with wire glass,
and every transom opening into any public hall shall be glazed with wire
glass and permanently secured in a closed position.

d. Every interior sash, or opening other than a door, in the walls or
partitions of such halls, and every window therein not opening to the
outer air, shall be removed and the openings closed up and
fire-retarded.