How to Plan Egress Windows (page 2 of 2)

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How to Plan Egress Windows-Page 2

Do I Have to Have ’Em?
Codes require new homes to have the proper size basement and bedroom egress windows. But if you live in an older, “pre-owned” home, open your windows fully, pull out a tape measure and see if the opening meets current egress requirements. Multiply the width by the height of the opening to determine whether it’s the required 5.7 sq. ft., or 821 sq. in.

Some older homes were built before there were any egress window requirements. Many more homes were built when the egress window net free opening size was a mere 4.3 sq. ft. Yet even newer homes often lack proper egress windows. Attics and basements were often legally remodeled into family rooms or offices (which didn’t require egress windows) then later converted into bedrooms (which now do require them). When bedrooms are added to basements without the knowledge of inspectors and without the requisite egress window, they create a dangerous underground fire trap. During remodeling, homeowners often unwittingly replace large egress windows with smaller, non-egress windows. And while most inspectors will demand egress windows be installed when bedrooms are remodeled or added on, they won’t necessarily dictate that windows in existing bedrooms be enlarged to egress size; it’s simply too difficult to monitor every situation.

Required or not, egress windows are crucial lifesaving equipment. If a room has even the remote possibility of later becoming a bedroom, include an egress size window. In upcoming issues, we’ll show you how to build a window well large enough to accommodate an egress window and how to install the window itself.

Basement Egress Windows—Yikes!
Basement egress windows present an added challenge. Besides the height, width and overall square-footage requirements that the window must meet, there are certain requirements for the window well surrounding the window.

Window wells must:

Allow the rescue window opening to be fully opened.

Provide 9 sq. ft. of “floor area,” with a minimum dimension of 36 in. in width and in length.

Contain a permanently affixed ladder or steps for climbing out if the window well depth exceeds 44 in. The ladder must be at least 12 in. wide and project no less than 3 in. from the window well. It can’t be obstructed by the open window or encroach on the required window well dimensions by more than 6 in. If you build the window well from timbers or modular concrete blocks, you can create steps along one side, eliminating the need for a ladder.

We’re not done yet. If an egress window is located under a deck or porch, inspectors and firefighters want at least 36 in. between the top of the window well and the bottom of the deck or porch joists; they much prefer 60 in. If the bottom of your egress opening is more than 44 in. from the basement floor, some inspectors will allow you to make up the difference with a permanently attached step.

This sounds like a lot of rigmarole and it is. Installing basement egress windows is challenging. You need to excavate a large hole, cut through and remove concrete, install a large window and window well, keep the basement walls watertight and somehow make the entire thing look good when you’re finished. It’s a huge project—but ask the family whose flaming television blocked their exit from the basement; they’ll tell you how glad they were to have had an egress window.

Choosing an Egress Window
When it comes to egress, not all windows are created equal. As you remodel, you’ll want new egress windows that match the style of the existing windows and meet egress requirements. This can be a challenge. Bear in mind these pros and cons.

Casement windows: These side-hinged windows fulfill egress requirements while taking up the smallest amount of wall space. This makes them ideal for egress windows in basements or other areas where space is limited. Some manufacturers can install a special operator arm that allows the window to open wider than the standard operating arm to meet egress requirements. Others have an operator arm that can be pushed to open the window wider in an emergency. These meet egress requirements as long as you leave the “PUSH HERE” label in place.

Double-hung windows: Even when it’s fully open, more than half of a double-hung window’s overall area is blocked by glass. This means that to meet egress window height requirements, a window must be nearly 4 ft. 9 in. in overall height. This height requirement takes it out of the running for most basement egress situations.

Gliding windows: To meet egress requirements, these horizontally sliding windows must be at least 4 ft. wide and 4 ft. high. This extra glass area and the light it lets in is pretty darn nice in a basement area, if you have the space.

Awning windows: These top-hinged windows make lousy egress windows. They don’t meet egress requirements in basements because the opened sash impedes entrance and exit. And those with center opening mechanisms don’t meet code because the hardware gets in the way. Only those with special hardware will meet egress requirements—and there aren’t many available.

Certain skylights meet egress requirements as long as they’re installed within 44 in. of the floor. One company (Velux, 800-888-3589; www.velux-america. com) offers two sizes of egress windows.

If you’re replacing a smaller window with a larger one that meets egress requirements, bear in mind that enlarging the height of the opening takes less structural work than enlarging the width. Increasing width means installing a larger, beefier horizontal structural header over the window opening—a major project. Increasing height is often only a matter of lowering the height of the sill below the window.