The Utility of Basement Window Wells TAGS: Adding egress windows | basement remodel ideas | Egress windows | emergeny escape | means of egress | safe basement exit

Many household utilities are located in the basement – which is why a window well is an important addition to your finished basement. Basements are one of the most functional areas of any home – a great place to locate important utilities like a furnace, hot water heater and electric boxes out of sight, and away from children. But utilities are one of the leading causes of fires – so placing them downstairs, in a basement, increases the risk of a basement fire. If one breaks out – does your basement have a means of egress? A means of egress …Continue reading →

Make the Most of Your Basement: The Darkroom TAGS: Adding egress windows | basement remodel ideas | building codes | Egress windows | emergeny escape | finishing a basement | Refinishing your basement

Fashion photographer Danny turned his unfinished basement into a darkroom – and added a basement window well for several important reasons. “Film photography isn’t dead,” explains Danny Patterson, a fashion photographer from New Jersey. “It’s still a medium used in high art, and a lot of fashion magazines still love the look of a photograph taken on real 35mm film.” But Danny, who specializes in photographs taken on real film, admits that the digital revolution has changed a lot of things. “Everything that used to be commonplace has got more difficult to get hold of now, though,” he admits. “You …Continue reading →

If you can’t stand the heat, can you get out of the kitchen? TAGS: Adding egress windows | basement | Egress windows | emergeny escape | means of egress | safe basement exit

I thought it would be a good idea to look at one of the most important reasons why a basement window well is important – kitchen fires. Basement apartments are a great option for homeowners looking to bring in a little extra money, and for renters looking for an affordable and well-located place to live. There are drawbacks that need to be addressed, though – and one of them is safety. Adding a fully functional kitchen into a basement apartment presents the risk (fortunately a small one) of a fire breaking out down there. And if that happens, how will …Continue reading →

Install a Dry Well to Prevent Window Well Flooding TAGS: Adding egress windows | basement remodel ideas | damp basement | Egress windows

One concern residents in flood-zones have about their basement window wells is that they could leak water into their finished basements. Here’s some advice. We’ve already blogged about the importance of where you install your basement window well to prevent flooding. But that’s not the only thing you can do to help ensure water stays out of your basement during the rainy season. If you’re in an area prone to flooding, there’s more you can do too.When installing a window well, it’s very important to backfill it with pea gravel or other rock material to help with drainage – especially …Continue reading →

The Home Office: Making the Most of your Basement Space TAGS: Adding egress windows | basement | basement egress windows | basement remodel ideas | Egress windows | means of egress

While Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer recently made waves by banning working from home, flexible hours and work-from-home initiatives are becoming significantly more common across America. As a result, more and more homeowners are looking to find space in their home for an office. The basement is a logical choice. Working from home isn’t easy. Even if you don’t have kids or pets to contend with, it’s often difficult to get into the “work” headspace when you have the opportunity to send your emails and work on your presentations without even clambering out of bed. That’s why people like Yahoo!’s CEO …Continue reading →

Meeting Egress Requirements with a Basement Rental Apartment: Making the Most of your Space TAGS: Adding egress windows | basement egress windows | building codes | Egress windows | emergeny escape | means of egress | safe basement exit

Over the course of the next few blog posts, we’ll be examining some of the best ways to expand your home and make use of your available basement space. In this post we will address the right way to meet egress requirements for a finished basement turned rental apartment. America is in the midst of a crisis right now – even a couple of years after the recession supposedly ended. The problem is that millions of American homeowners have been hit hard by the housing crash and now owe more on their homes than their properties are actually worth. One …Continue reading →

Color and Crunch for your Basement Window Well TAGS: Adding egress windows | basement remodel ideas | Egress windows | Installing an Egress Window

A means of egress is a necessary part of national building code – but just because something’s necessary, doesn’t mean it can’t look cool. If you’re installing a basement window well, think about shaking things up. One option is by choosing an unusual backfill product. Window wells don’t need to be boring. We’ve already covered how they can be used as basement gardens, for growing window boxes filled with flowers or fresh vegetables, but another option for getting a cool look for your well is to mix up the material you use for backfilling. Backfilling is a vital part of …Continue reading →

Installing an Egress Window? We Take the Guesswork Out TAGS: Adding egress windows | basement egress windows | building codes | Egress windows | finishing a basement

If you’re thinking of installing an egress window in your home, we can help you get everything you need with a single click. Last Christmas, I bought a new iPhone, and a whole load of accessories that were on sale. And what did I discover when I got home? That none of the on-sale accessories worked with this season’s latest iPhone. It’s a perennial problem – making sure the accessories and extras you buy fit the product you intend them for – and it extends far beyond just mobile phones. It even extends to home construction supplies (I can’t be …Continue reading →

Cavemen Were Smart. Live Like One in a Finished Basement TAGS: Adding egress windows | basement egress windows | basement remodel ideas | Egress windows | finishing a basement

A finished basement gives all the benefits cavemen used to rave about. Take advantage. Back in prehistoric times, our early ancestors used to live in caves. This wasn’t just a matter of sheltering from the elements – at also made a lot more sense than building huts or lean-tos; which required a lot of work and materials to construct, and didn’t provide nearly as much shelter as mother nature did. Caves – built as they were from meters of impenetrable rock – were incredibly well insulted. As a result, they were a place cavemen could shelter from the heat in …Continue reading →

Smart Moves to Keep Your Basement Dry TAGS: Adding egress windows | basement remodel ideas | Basement Windows | bringing fresh air in a basement | damp basement | Egress windows | finishing a basement | prevent mold in basements | Refinishing your basement | Sunlight into a basement

Basements get damp. It’s one of the natural laws of the universe – like how when you drop a piece of toast, it always lands butter-side down. But there are things you can do to keep your finished basement dry, fresh and welcoming. For many homeowners, adding egress windows helped eliminate their damp problem – as it gave a free-flowing source of fresh air that helped expel lingering moisture. But if you’re deciding to finish your basement, there are some other tips and techniques you can use to minimize or eliminate the risk of dampness. The first is to consider …Continue reading →