What You Should Know About Egress Windows

Ventilation is important to basements in order to make them a livable area. Egress windows play a big part in ventilation; just because they may not let much usable light in, they provide another valuable service. Egress windows can help circulate air, and provide a portal for the entrance in and exit out of air that is being circulated. Without this ventilation many Denver homeowners would find their basements depressing and confining, and their use would be limited.

Another valuable function of an egress window is as a means of entrance or exit from the Denver home should situation prove necessary. Because of this use there are certain specification that must be met when selecting egress windows. For one, egress windows are not like the other windows in your home, so do not be fooled into thinking you can just get the same windows for every space in your Denver home. Egress windows are specially designed for installation in masonry foundation walls. Although they are, generally speaking, relatively small in size compared to most of the vast array of windows available, it is important to select egress windows that meet the egress standards of local codes when the windows will be installed in a finished basement. So what are these standards or size, etc.?

According to the International Residential Code, an egress window must be at least 24 in. wide and 20 in. high with a net clear opening of at least 5.7 sq. ft. to allow occupants to escape in an emergency or to allow a fully outfitted firefighter to enter from the outside. While this may seem like a rather large space for an egress window, should your house ever catch fire, and a firefighter need enter through a egress window, you will be grateful for such regulations.

Your egress windows do not just have to be functional. Many replacement windows that are decorative can meet the safety regulations set forth. To give your egress windows a unique twist, try stained glass or etched glass. Because egress windows do not allow much light in anyway, it should not change the lighting configuration of the room.

DENVER CONTRACTOR THAT SPECIALIZES IN EGRESS WINDOWS

Dahl-House Construction
P.O. Box 748
Indian Hills, CO 80454
Telephone: 303-915-5011
Fax: 303-237-4341
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