Egress windows for finished basements

Why a finished basement needs a way out

The small hopper windows in most older basements were made for light and air, not escape. Once a basement has a bedroom, an office someone sleeps in, or a family room people spend evenings in, a second way out in a fire becomes the point. The residential building code sets a minimum clear opening, minimum width and height, and a maximum sill height for that reason, and the town inspector checks the finished window against it.

The opening, the window, the well and the ladder

1. Outside, soil is dug out down past the bottom of the new opening for the well.
2. The foundation wall is saw-cut to size and the edges are finished; block walls get their cores filled and capped.
3. A header or lintel goes in where the wall needs it, and a casement window is set in a sealed frame.
4. The well is placed against the house, with built-in steps or a ladder when the depth calls for one.
5. Inside, the opening is trimmed so it is ready for drywall.

Draining the well so it is not the next leak

A window well is a hole next to the foundation that collects rain. If it cannot drain, water pools against the new window and finds its way in, which turns a safety upgrade into a leak repair. The bottom of the well gets washed stone and a drain connected to the footing drain or the interior drain tile and sump, depending on what the house has. A clear cover that still opens from inside keeps leaves and snow out.

The town permit is part of the plan

Cutting a new opening in a foundation wall is construction work that needs a permit from the town's building department, with an inspection when it is done. The permit drawings show where the window goes and its size. It is worth deciding the location early: the window should not land under a deck, a meter, an air conditioner pad or a utility line, and the well needs room on the lot.

Bring the floor plan of the finished space to the visit, and mark any bedroom locations, so the window serves the right room.