How to Install Basement Windows and Satisfy Egress Codes

How to saw the pigsty, frame the opening and set a basement egress window

Time

Multiple Days

Complexity

Advanced

Cost

$501-1000

Introduction

We'll show you all the how-to steps you need to install a basement egress window, from cutting a hole in the basement wall to framing the opening to setting the window. Doing the project yourself can save y'all more than than $4,000. The egress window will not only allow natural sunlight to enter your dark basement, information technology will provide a safe escape road for you and your family during a fire or other dwelling emergency.

Tools Required

Materials Required

  • 1-5/8 in. galvanized screws
  • 2x10x10ft. pressure level treated lumber (1)
  • 2x4x10 ft. lumber (12)
  • 3-in. deck screws
  • 3/16 x 3 1/4-in. concrete screws
  • half dozen-mil plastic
  • Physical mix
  • Egress window
  • Exterior caulk
  • Insulation
  • Masking record
  • Plastic moisture bulwark
  • Shims
  • Tarp

Installing an egress basement window

Egress basement window

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With an egress besement window yous'll become more natural light, plus an emergency escape. An egress window in a basement dramatically brightens an otherwise nighttime, dingy room, just it also has a more serious purpose. It's large enough to offer a safe get out from the basement in the event of fire or other emergency. Adding an egress basement window is essential whatsoever time you lot remodel your basement to make a new bedroom, office or other living space.

In this article, we'll show you how to cut through a concrete cake wall and install an egress basement window. If you lot accept solid physical walls, the procedure is similar, except nosotros recommend y'all hire a professional for the wall cutting (more on this afterward).

The egress basement windows we installed (two 2947 Pella ProLine casement windows for $325) are substantially larger than the minimum requirement because nosotros wanted to bring strong natural light into this basement. But yous don't accept to add together ones this large. An egress basement window must have a clear opening of at least 5.seven sq. ft.—large enough to allow a firefighter, with equipment, to enter the abode through the window. In add-on, the window must be at least 20 in. wide and 24 in. high (while withal meeting the 5.7-sq.-ft. requirement). Finally, the bottom of the opening can exist no more than than 44 in. from the flooring. Encounter "Egress Window Choices" at the finish of this article for more details.

Prepare for a large projection

Kickoff, cut the pigsty.

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Wearable hearing and centre protection when cutting the hole for a basement egress window well.

Then, frame the opening.

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Frame the opening so you tin install the window.

Finally, install the window.

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Your new basement egress window well provides natural calorie-free and a prophylactic emergency escape. Let at least three full days to install the basement window, plus time for finishing the interior. The egress window insulation cost with a contractor like the ones shown will cost from $6,000 to $viii,000. If you do the projects yourself, the egress window installation cost runs well-nigh $i,500 on materials, tool rental and reject container fees.

Projection step-by-step (17)

Stride i

Good planning simplifies the chore

Mark the window outline

Mark

Outline your proposed basement window size (frame) with masking tape on the wall to get a feel for the placement and size of your window. Add in infinite for the header, if you place the window perpendicular to the floor joists (like the 1 here).

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Step 2

Build a temporary back up wall

support

Erect a temporary 2x4 support wall if the joists are perpendicular to the wall you'll be cutting. Place it 3 ft. back from the concrete wall. Screw the top plate to the joists and marshal the studs directly under the floor joists. Measure and cut each stud for a tight fit. How to Install a Terraced Window Well in Your Basement

Step three

Hang plastic to contain dust

plastic

Tent the surface area where y'all'll be cutting with six-mil plastic sheeting to confine the dust. Use sheeting at least 8 ft. 6 in. to 9 ft. wide.

Close-up: Seal the surface area between joists.

Seal

Brand slits in the sheeting to seal the expanse between the joists and staple it in place. First, find the best location and size for the basement window. Consider: (ane) which wall offers the best light; (2) the outcome on the exterior look of the domicile; and (3) the obstacles yous'll have to deal with for a item location.

The all-time natural calorie-free comes from the due east starting time and then the southward. An eastern window offers rich morning time calorie-free, while a southern window provides more even low-cal twelvemonth-round. We centered our egress basement window beneath a large bow window on the forepart of the house (facing east). This placement maintained the balanced look of the front end of the home, though the window was not centered on the wall of our new basement room.

Check for obstacles such every bit cached utilities, shrubbery, indoor wiring and ductwork. The more stuff you have to move or work around, the more circuitous, time-consuming and expensive the projection becomes. Ever call for buried utility marking so you lot don't hit or interfere with water, gas, electrical, cable or sewer lines when y'all dig your well. Then visit a window dealer or home eye and pick up a manufacturer's brochure listing window sizes to assist programme and size your basement window.

Ane key factor that can limit basement window size is the size of the beam (called a header) that you have to install when you remove a department of your foundation wall. If you lot're installing a modest window (less than 48 in. broad) in a wall that runs parallel to the floor joists, you lot probably won't need the extra support of a header. But if you install the window in a load-bearing wall (perpendicular to the floor joists; Photo 2), consult a structural engineer or architect to decide the header size.

Take a sketch of your programme (Fig. A) to your local building inspector'southward office to obtain a permit for the projection. Local code officials should exist familiar with local issues and can assistance you with details. Nosotros really finished our well first, simply it's unremarkably easier to get the basement window in and and so end the well around it.

TIP: Keep a tarp handy so the sides of the well won't wash in if it rains.

When you position your basement window layout with masking tape, call up to make the cut lines about 3-i/2 in. wider than the rough opening required (listed with the window dimensions). Add together the width of the header plus i-3/4 in. to the rough opening acme. The actress space is for the ane-1/2 in. treated forest rough frame (Fig. A) plus room for aligning. Cutting through concrete isn't as exact as cutting through wood!

Since our egress basement window was in a wall perpendicular to the floor joists (in a weight-bearing wall), we congenital a temporary support wall (Photo 2) to comport the weight before cut out the window opening and putting in the header. Sawing concrete creates an incredible dust cloud. And so when cutting inside, tent the area effectually the cut to confine the dust (Photo iii).

CAUTION!

Avoid putting an egress basement window about a walkway unless you lot provide a substantial barrier to foreclose falls into the well.

Tip:

The simplest way to avoid the header size issue is to make an existing basement window taller. Typical modest basement windows mensurate thirty in. wide past 15 in. high. If you extend this opening downwardly and install a 29-in. wide by 47-in. high casement window, you'll satisfy minimum egress window requirements.

Step four

Rent a concrete saw with a diamond blade

Drill a pilot pigsty

Drill

Measure down from the joists to locate the height of the bottom cutting. Mark the center of the lesser cutting line and drill a level pilot pigsty with a hammer drill and a chip long enough to go through the wall. How to Stop a Basement: Framing and Insulating

Pace 5

Mark the window dimensions on the exterior

exterior

Level from the airplane pilot hole on the exterior in both directions from the center and measure and marking the corners of the cutout. The mortar lines commonly serve as a level reference line too. Drill a level hole through the wall at each corner.

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Footstep 6

Cutting the physical

Cut

Cut a i/2-in. deep groove in the physical block with an electrical 14-in. concrete saw equipped with a diamond bract. Then complete the cut on a second pass. Wetting the blade as it cuts reduces dust. Caution: Plug the saw into a GFCI outlet. Your basement or lower-level walls will exist either poured concrete or concrete block. In this commodity, we show you lot how to cut through concrete block. For a poured physical wall, we strongly recommend that yous rent a professional to cutting the opening ($600 to $1,000). Doing this yourself is difficult and dangerous considering of the weight of the slab you cut loose. Cutting through concrete block is no picnic either. The two major tools you lot'll demand are a concrete saw and a hammer drill. Choose a concrete saw with either a 12-in. or a xiv-in. bract. The 12-in. saw will work fine for an 8-in. thick wall.

We used a xiv-in. saw because our wall independent both viii-in. and 12-in. blocks. Forth with the saw, rent a diamond blade. This blade will pay for its higher cost in time saved because it cuts much faster than annoying blades. Some rental stores carry only gas saws; others rent both gas and electric. We recommend electrical so you won't have to worry about fumes while you're making the inside cut. Also, the electric saw is less beefy, making it easier to get in tight spaces. If you lot employ the electric saw, especially if you moisture the blade, plug information technology into a GFCI outlet to protect yourself from electrical shocks. These are big, heavy saws that have forcefulness and attention to control. E'er wear goggles, gloves and hearing protection when operating them.

When you hire the hammer drill, also rent a masonry drill bit long enough to become through the wall: 12 in. long for 8-in. block and xvi in. for 12-in. cake. Look to spend well-nigh $120 to $140 to rent the saw, hammer drill, diamond blade and masonry scrap for the solar day. Having a helper spray water on the blade with a paw pump sprayer while yous cut reduces the grit about 90 percent (Photograph 6). But you'll have to clean upwards a mucky mess on the floor.

Tip: Employ a bead of insulating foam to the floor to act equally a curb to contain the h2o. Let a mean solar day for the foam to harden.

For superlative accurateness, lay out your cutting lines on the inside wall (Photo 4). Since y'all have to cut from both the within and outside, drill through the wall at the lower corners with a hammer drill held perfectly level, to institute the layout on the outside. Or drill through the heart of your proposed layout (Photo 4) if you build your window well first. That fashion you can suit your layout to centre the egress basement window on the well before drilling the corners (Photo 5).

Tip: Use the joints on the block to help maintain accurate alignment—if y'all tin can find them through the tar that'south ofttimes spread on the exterior!

Prevent Wet Problem—Plant Good Drainage

Any time you lot install an egress window below ground, yous have to ensure good drainage. If your basement has ever had moisture problems, have these steps:

  • Pace 1: Make sure existing gutters and downspouts are make clean and drain water away from the business firm. If necessary, install new gutters.
  • Step 2: Check the grade of the slope around your foundation walls. Information technology should be 1/ii in. per pes at least 10 to 12 ft. out from the foundation wall.
  • Stride 3: Brand certain the drainage system is in good repair. Many homes accept a drainage system effectually the ground of the foundation walls that sends backlog h2o to a sump pump or outside drain. If you have such a system and your soil has a high clay content, create a gravel drainage path below your window well to tie into this organization.
  • Pace four: If you've had wet or flooding problems, consult a waterproofing specialist earlier calculation a below-ground window.

    CAUTION!

    If you wet the blade to reduce grit, brand sure you lot plug your concrete saw into a GFCI outlet to prevent a chancy daze.

Step 7

Roll upwards your sleeves and get to piece of work

Complete the cut from the outside

outside

Finish cut through the wall by making the aforementioned cuts on the outside wall. If you have a brick ledge similar nosotros did, some blocks will exist 12 in. thick and some will be 8 in. Marking the lines for the exterior cut with tape and cover the well area with a tarp to keep it clean.

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Footstep 8

Knock out the block

Knock

Suspension out the block with a four-lb. hammer, starting at the top center. Work advisedly around the edges so yous don't loosen the remaining blocks. For stubborn blocks, first break out the core in the middle of the cake, then break the block.

Step 10

Fill the block cores with concrete

concrete

Fill up the open cores nether the sill with concrete. Stuff newspaper into the cores to keep the physical from falling downward through them.

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Step xi

Install the sill

Install

Cover the wet concrete with plastic sheeting so the water from the concrete won't warp the frame sill. Drive 3-in. deck screws partway into the treated forest sill and push them downward into the wet concrete. The screws volition anchor the sill and prevent the frame from shifting.

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Stride 12

Frame the basement window opening

Frame

Build the header according to your plan (we installed ii), hoist information technology into place and spiral it to the floor joists. Cut the frame sides to length for a very tight fit and bang them into place to support the header. Plumb the sides with a level and toe-screw them to the sill and header. How to Get Rid of That Musty Odour in Your Basement

Step xiii

Anchor the frame to the cake

Anchor

Anchor each side of the frame to the block wall with two three/16 x iii-one/four in. concrete screws. Predrill for the screws with a masonry bit. Countersink the hole for the screwhead with a 3/viii-in. drill bit.

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Footstep fourteen

Caulk around the frame

Caulk

Seal gaps between the woods frame and the concrete with polyurethane or other exterior caulk. For gaps more than than ane/4 in. wide, button a foam backer rod into the gap before caulking. With the frame securely in identify, you can remove the temporary support wall. Once cutting, the masonry blocks won't fall out of the wall. You lot have to pause them out with a four-lb. hammer (Photograph 8). Be sure to article of clothing eye protection. Fries will wing! With the block broken out, y'all'll run across that your cuts won't marshal perfectly. Smooth the sides as all-time you lot can with a brick chisel (Photo 9).

Photos xi – fourteen for setting the crude frame. Cut the pressure treated 2x10 to fit the thickness of your wall. Since we had both eight-in. and 12-in. thick blocks, we fit the window to the eight-in. thickness and mortared a beveled sill nether the window to shed h2o over the 12-in. blocks (Photograph 17).

Anchoring the rough frame to the block can be tricky (Photo 13). Mark the block where the concrete screws can go a good bite into solid physical. Don't endeavor to draw the side frames tight to the wall with the screws. Utilise shims when tightening the screws to keep the frame straight and plumb (perfectly vertical).

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Step 15

Install the window and wall finishes

Install the basement window

install

Middle the window in the opening and level it with cedar shims. Become help here to steady the window while you lot shim it. Temporarily tack the shims in place and remove the window. Home Repair: How to Flatten Basement Air Ducts to Gain Space

Step 16

Caulk effectually the window

wood

Utilise a generous dewdrop of caulk around the treated forest frame to create a seal backside the nailing fin of the basement window. Fix the window in place, cheque it for level, and bulldoze screws or nails through the nailing fin to secure it to the frame. Some manufacturers specify that the fin must be nailed, not screwed.

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Step 17

Create a bevel in the ledge

bevel

Bevel the ledge under the window with mortar so it will shed water. Apply a straightedge as a guide because your saw cut won't be perfectly directly. Wet the ledge, add the mortar and shape the bevel with a small finishing trowel. Installing the basement window (Photos 15 –17) will go chop-chop compared with the prep piece of work. Nearly manufacturers include complete installation instructions with every window. Read through them to cheque for variations from our process. The trim piece of work will vary according to the style of your dwelling. The exterior terminate could pose some problems because well-nigh foundation walls are coated with rubbery tar below the soil level. We chose to cover the unabridged exposed foundation around the window and inside the well with metal board and stucco. If you have lap siding, yous may choose to use furring strips to the concrete and carry the lap siding downwardly into the well area. On the interior, we trimmed the window with tile rather than the more traditional wood sill and casing; however, forest trim too will work well.

Egress Window Choices

Casement windows (windows that are hinged on one side and crank open) and side-to-side sliding windows are the all-time choices for egress basement windows. Double-hung windows (windows that slide up and downwardly) don't piece of work well considering they take to exist nigh five ft. alpine in society to run across the minimum openable expanse requirements—more digging and a deeper well. Here are some other tips to know almost choosing egress window sizes.

Sliding windows don't have to exist every bit tall as a double-hung, just they do need to exist wide. Information technology takes a 48 x 48-in. sliding window to meet the minimum egress requirements.

Casement windows are normally ideal because the entire window swings open. That means you can install a smaller casement window than other types. A 29-in. broad by 47-in. wide (exterior frame dimensions) window will meet the requirements, and you can go even smaller if the window is equipped with special egress hinges. Modernistic casement windows with a unmarried lock are also the easiest for a child to open. Check window sizes in manufacturers' catalogs at any home center or window and door store for basement casement windows.

Additional Information

Fig. A: Window Framing Details

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Originally Published: September 12, 2019