Wooden Stairs Pose a Risk During Basement Fires TAGS: Egress windows | emergeny escape | Installing an Egress Window | means of egress | Refinishing your basement | safe basement exit

If the stairs to your basement are made from wood, a means of egress is especially important. The vast majority of American homes are made using simple wooden framing in their construction – and while this is an affordable, durable and versatile material; it’s also vulnerable to fire. As a result, one of the “hot spots” of fire risk has always been basement stairs. If they’re made of wood, they can quickly become inaccessible and unsafe in the event of a fire; trapping people downstairs. This is why adding a means of egress to your basement is so important – …Continue reading →

Basement Window Well Adds To Inheritance TAGS: basement | basement remodel ideas | building codes | Egress windows | finishing a basement | Installing an Egress Window

Investing in a basement window well is one way to look after your loved ones. 2008 was a rough year for a lot of Americans – but for Dave Buchanan, it was harder than most. That was the year he was due to retire, and unfortunately cashing in his 401k coincided with one of the worst stock market crashes in American history. “I ended up getting less out of my 401k than what I’d paid into it,” Dave explains. “I was gutted.” Fortunately, Dave’s canny financial planning meant that he and his wife weren’t reduced to eating Ramen noodles as …Continue reading →

April is National Safe Digging Month TAGS: Dial 811 | Dig Safe | Egress windows | Installing an Egress Window

EgressWindows.com is a big supporters of the notion of safety first.  That is why we want to create awareness of National Safe Digging Month.  April is the time of year many homeowners are venturing back out into the yard to do projects.  Before you pick up a shovel and start that project by digging, ask yourself; what is under there?  Are there power lines?  Gas lines?  Communication lines?  Water lines?  Sewer lines?  The list of potential hazards just under the surface are many. There is a free service that can help you.  A few days prior to digging simply dial 811 …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 →

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 →

Installing a Basement Window for Egress: Cutting the Opening TAGS: Adding egress windows | Installing an Egress Window | Photos

This is the most popular image in the Photo Gallery. It appears that people are very interested in the actual cutting out of the foundation for the egress window opening. In this image it is being done with a cement chainsaw. I will have a future post regarding different types of cutting tools for making this opening. Keep an eye out for it. Tweet