Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [egress]

37 questions
11
votes
3 answers

Do I need an egress bedroom window if I have a walk-out exterior door?

I have a basement with three hopper windows and a walk-out door. There's also a staircase that connects the basement with the upper (main) floor of the house. If I build a bedroom, do I need an egress window or is the basement walk-out door acting…
Peter Q
  • 2,213
  • 11
  • 36
  • 40
6
votes
2 answers

Was this basement window installed properly?

Here's a few photos of a window that I installed last year. I used the mixed knowledge of a few different online articles and did it to my best ability, but I'm kinda worried that it may have been done wrong. If so, and I was wrong in a significant…
kavisiegel
  • 2,266
  • 4
  • 24
  • 41
6
votes
1 answer

What is the minimum width of an egress/entrance door?

What is the minimum width of an egress/entrance door? Is it 32 or 36 inches?
Blessed Geek
  • 327
  • 2
  • 4
  • 8
5
votes
1 answer

Do I need a stairway for egress from a balcony that's off a second floor bedroom?

I have a rental cottage. It has two stories with a bedroom and bath on the second floor that are accessed by spiral staircase. The bedroom opens onto a 4'x13' balcony which is 16 feet above a courtyard. Does Massachusetts building code require a…
G Bruce Head
  • 51
  • 2
4
votes
2 answers

Egress window directly beneath electrical meter?

My house was built in 1973 and has a tiny basement window (single-pane aluminum frame) in a window well. The utility electrical meter is on the same exterior wall, not directly over the basement window. A few years ago I had some solar panels put…
Betty Crokker
  • 351
  • 1
  • 3
  • 11
4
votes
3 answers

Header requirements for basement egress window

I have poured concrete foundation walls and I am adding an egress to my basement wall. I'm cutting a hole 3' width by 4' in height, about 44 inches from the floor and about 12" from the top of the foundation wall. The wall is load bearing. It is…
PAUL Vincent SIKORSKI
  • 41
  • 1
  • 1
  • 2
3
votes
2 answers

How far does a basement egress window well need to stick out above ground?

Is there code on this? I am having an egress window well installed today and was surprised to see the window well sticking out 2 feet above ground (1 foot if you count all the new dirt they mounded up around it). I was surprised because in all my…
statueuphemism
  • 5,207
  • 11
  • 43
  • 63
3
votes
2 answers

How can I meet the height requirements for a door in a basement with a low ceiling?

To meet code we need a minimum 6'6" clearance through all doors. The ceiling height in most of the basement is 6'8", but the clearance through the exterior door is much less than that. On the inside of the door is a concrete step - we could remove…
Mel
  • 29
  • 1
  • 2
3
votes
3 answers

Do I need an egress window in a basement room not used as a bedroom?

Do I need an egress window in a basement family room when the basement has two viable exits? There are garage doors on one end and an exterior person door leading to exterior stairs on the other.
Diane D
  • 31
  • 1
  • 2
3
votes
3 answers

Exposed foundation and large egress well - need help

New to this website. I wanted to ask a question regarding our new home that is being built. There is a large chunk of foundation in one corner of the house that is exposed, along with a very tall egress well (see picture below of one of us standing…
Lamps
  • 31
  • 1
3
votes
2 answers

Should I use solid concrete or cement block for an egress window well?

I am having some contractors build a window well for an egress window at my house. I have the option of doing solid concrete walls for the window well, or cement blocks (which he said he will fill with cement anyways). The concrete walls are…
n00b
  • 597
  • 7
  • 18
  • 33
2
votes
0 answers

Do I need a header for an egress window?

I am in the process of finishing a bedroom in my basement. I need to add a window to the room and the selected wall is poured concrete. I need to know if I have to add a header above the window in the concrete. The building inspector was of no…
Lefka
  • 165
  • 2
  • 6
2
votes
0 answers

Use cement blocks for egress window well surrounding

I need to make an egress window and the depth below grade is 24". However, most egress window wells at home improvement stores are 20" in height and I need to buy 2 of them which made the cost double. I am thinking about using cement blocks to make…
HP.
  • 1,812
  • 11
  • 66
  • 99
2
votes
0 answers

Can French doors (with center mullion) swing in opposite directions?

This might be a very elementary question, but I haven't been able to find any information about it. We are planning to replace a sliding glass door between our dining room and deck with French doors. In order to have a door that we can use in the…
1006a
  • 131
  • 5
1
vote
2 answers

What's the best way to cover my egress window (not soft plastic) where the window is above the window well?

What's the best way to cover an egress window where the cement for the window sticks 11" above the metal window well cover (the window itself is above 10" above the metal window well)? I'm looking for something that will be supportive of people…
thecoolmacdude
  • 272
  • 1
  • 3
  • 12
1
2 3