Don’t Turn Your Window Well into a Wishing Well: Prevent Basement Flooding TAGS: Adding egress windows | damp basement | Egress windows

When you’re adding an egress window well to your finished basement, make sure you take the water table into consideration. Water can make or break a basement refurbishment, as any homeowner will tell you – and adding a means of egress can play an important part in that. Sump pumps and drainage can help prevent basement flooding; but heavy rain and storms can still have devastating consequences if you don’t take precautions. So when you’re considering adding an egress well to your finished basement, make sure you give some thought to how that might impact the way water moves around …Continue reading →

Don’t Move – Expand! TAGS: Adding egress windows | basement remodel ideas | Egress windows | finishing a basement | means of egress

Finishing a basement can be a great alternative to buying a bigger house. Just don’t forget the egress windows! According to economists, the recession is over – but it doesn’t feel that way to millions of American homeowners. In fact, in some parts of the country house prices are the lowest they’ve been for a half century – in Detroit, for example, the average house price has dropped to just $44,000! And with the housing market still deeply depressed, many homeowners with growing families are struggling. “We had our third kid last June,” explained Long Island homeowner Janine, “and we’re …Continue reading →

Casement Windows for Basement Egress: Cheap Fix or Bad Idea? TAGS: Adding egress windows | building codes | Egress windows | means of egress | safe basement exit

Not all basement windows are created equal. Make sure yours meet code before you waste time and money having to reinstall them. Having to get a finished basement up to code is a smart move; and quickly pays for itself in terms of house value and rental potential. However, the initial outlay often inspires homeowners to try and cut corners when adding a means of egress – and that can lead to costly problems in the future. One of the most common “cheap fix” solutions homeowners attempt is to install regular casement windows as a means of egress. Sadly, it’s …Continue reading →

Fire Prevention Safety Week: Have 2 Ways Out TAGS: Adding egress windows | Egress windows | emergeny escape | means of egress | safe basement exit

This week is national Fire Prevention Safety Week – and their message couldn’t hit closer to home. Every year, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) holds their Fire Prevention Safety Week – with a special message to help people protect themselves and their families from fire. This year, the message is one we feel particularly passionate about: “Have 2 Ways Out.” They write: It is important to have a home fire escape plan that prepares your family to think fast and get out quickly when the smoke alarm sounds. What if your first escape route is blocked by smoke or …Continue reading →

Don’t Start From Scratch When Installing Basement Windows TAGS: Adding egress windows | building codes | Dial 811 | Egress windows | means of egress

Many older basements don’t have a means of egress installed – but a lot of them do have some kind of window or opening to let light and air in. If you’re not sure where to start with your basement renovation, why not consider using these existing windows to help you install your egress windows? More and more American homeowners are converting their basements into furnished family rooms, spare bedrooms, home offices or rental apartments. In order to meet building code, however, it’s necessary to have a “means of egress” installed. One tip we recommend for homeowners installing basement windows …Continue reading →

Bring a Small Basement Apartment Up to Code with a Space Saving Egress Window TAGS: Adding egress windows | basement egress windows | Egress windows | means of egress

National building code requires that all basement apartments have a means of egress installed – but where space is at a premium, that can be difficult to make happen. One solution is a space-saving egress window well. The 2009 IRC Building Code brought in regulations that made it mandatory to fit some means of egress into basement windows – a vital safety feature to allow basement residents to escape if there’s a fire or other disaster. But for thousands of American homeowners, bringing their basements up to code has not been easy. While it’s always a good investment to finish …Continue reading →

Product Reviews for Basement Window Installation – Husqvarna Saws TAGS: Adding egress windows | Egress windows | Installing an Egress Window

As more and more enterprising homeowners take charge of their own basement remodel, we thought we’d offer some tips and tricks straight from the contractors. Here are our thoughts on three of the most popular saws used for cutting windows in concrete walls. A basement window installation for egress is kind of like installing a swimming pool – it involves a lot more than just digging a big hole! One challenge, for example, is cutting the gaps for basement windows right through the existing walls of your home. Here are three popular products from Husqvarna you can use for cutting …Continue reading →

Fiberglass Window Wells for a Tight Space TAGS: Adding egress windows | Egress windows

When space is at a premium, our fiberglass window wells might be the answer. Recently, we received a question from a homeowner in Baltimore; who was refurbishing their basement, but was facing trouble fitting a code-compliant basement window. “I live in an old 1950s townhouse,” wrote David Cearn, “and we don’t have a yard, so much as an alleyway.” When David asked a couple of contractors about installing a means of egress in his basement, he got the same reply from both of them: “There’s not enough room.” That’s because egress window wells are normally installed with crushed stone or …Continue reading →

Stay EPA Compliant When Installing Egress Windows TAGS: Adding egress windows | basement egress windows | building codes | Egress windows | finishing a basement | means of egress

We’ve found a great product contractors will love; which helps them stick to new Environmental Protection Agency regulations when installing egress windows in the basement. Installing egress windows is a straightforward job – but it’s also a messy one. Contractors and homeowners looking to cut through brick, stone, masonry and wood to install their windows are going to churn out a lot of dust, grit and sawdust when they do so. Unfortunately, dealing with this debris isn’t as simple as throwing a tarp down. Because paint chips, sanding, grinding and cutting can throw up a lot of dangerous materials (including lead, …Continue reading →

Basement Apartment Fire in Trenton Demonstrates Importance of Egress Code TAGS: Adding egress windows | building codes | Egress windows | emergeny escape | means of egress | safe basement exit

National building code requires all basement apartments to have a safe means of egress – but many are rented out without this vital safety feature. Doing so, however risks deadly consequences. In Trenton, New Jersey, firefighters were recently called to a blaze in a busy residential neighborhood – in which two houses were engulfed in flames. Read about it at NJ.com. It’s believed the fire began on the porch of one of the Franklin Street homes, caused by a cigarette butt or stick of smoldering incense left in the trash by the occupant of the basement apartment. The upstairs tenant …Continue reading →