Egress Replacement Window Cost Worth It To Light Up Basement

Basements can often be dark, damp and dreary, and

, well, cave-like. Not exactly the type of place you want to spend a lot of your waking hours. If you are planning to renovate your basement into a media room or family room or even a spare bedroom, you will want to create a space that is a bright as possible despite the limitations of the room being located below ground.

A simple way to create the illusion of more natural light is to paint the rooms a cheerful color (not necessarily white, but light shades of yellow). But sometimes dark basements call for the real thing--more natural light--which means more drastic measures. One way to add lots of light into your basement is to add an egress window.

Add an Egress Window

An egress window can serve dual purposes: adding lots of light to a dark basement, and providing a necessary safe exit from the basement in case of an emergency such as a fire.

Check your local codes, but most likely you must install an egress window (or an egress door to the outside) if you add a bedroom or a "habitable space" (which includes living rooms, offices, media rooms, etc.) to a basement according to the 2006 IRC-International Residential Code requirements. Note there are exact specifications for the side and height of the window: they must have a clear opening of at least 5.7 square feet--that is, large enough for a firefighter (with equipment) to enter your home through the window. The window, to be eligible for egress, must also be at least 20 inches wide and 24 inches high, and 44 inches off the floor.

Manufacturers Offer Do-it-Yourself Options

There are manufacturers who offer do-it-yourself replacement window options that are; the replacement window cost of these code-compliant systems is about $950. There are also several manufacturers that offer pre-built window wells that are code compliant.

by: QW HON

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