As a homeowner, you’re always looking for ways to make your house more functional and comfortable. One of the most underrated features is egress windows – they do more than just provide an emergency exit from the basement. In fact, egress windows can add light, safety, and value to your home. Let’s take a deep dive into the benefits of egress windows and how they can make your home more enjoyable.
1. Natural Light
Have a dimly lit basement or an underground family room? Egress windows offer a smart and practical solution. By installing an egress window, you’ll increase the amount of natural light that flows in the room. And, with the bigger size of the egress window, you can enjoy maximum sunlight as well. Not only will your space look brighter and more welcoming, but you’ll also save money on energy costs by reducing your reliance on electric lights.
2. Emergency Exit Design
Egress windows are designed specifically as an emergency exit in the event of a fire, flood or other disasters in the home. It’s also a way for firefighters to enter the home in case of emergencies during rescue efforts. Egress windows have specific requirements with respect to size and distance from the floor, among other criteria, so that everyone in the house can utilize them without the risk of getting injured. So, not only do these windows offer an escape, they also offer safety and security.
In most older homes basement windows do not meet code for egress, therefore, the rooms are not legal living space and have less value than a code compliant room someone can sleep in. They’re typically made of materials that can rust, decompose or become food for bugs; necessitating replacement in the future. Worst of all, they do not give your family a way out in case of fire or other emergency. Basement egress windows, installed by Standard Water Control can transform a dark and uninviting cellar into clean, code-compliant living space.
3. Increased Home Value
Adding Egress windows is a simple way to increase the value of your home. Any renovation or home improvement will add value, but with egress windows, you are putting in an emergency exit, increasing natural light and ventilation, reducing dampness, and adding additional living space. This improvement provides an extra reason why your property is worth more than others in your locality.
Real estate agents agree that homes with egress windows sell faster and for higher prices. The windows transform your dark basements into beautiful and functional living spaces, adding square footage to your home. Consequently, when you choose to sell your home, your investment in the installation of egress windows will pay off.
4. More Living Space
Egress windows can convert a drab, dark basement into a cozy living space. By adding an emergency exit, more light, and fresh air, homeowners can furnish and transform their basements into an extra bedroom, game room, home office, gym, or theater. That extra living space is not only functional and valuable but also lovely, and gives you the comfort of additional usable square footage.
5. Legal Requirement
Egress windows are not just a simple home improvement but, in fact, a requirement. Homeowners who choose to use their basements as living spaces are legally mandated to have an emergency exit. With the Egress window, you not only fulfill a legal requirement, but it will also give you peace of mind knowing that in case of an emergency, everyone in your home can get out safely and efficiently.
6. Installation
Our team lays plywood on your lawn to protect high traffic areas. We then carefully excavate by hand to minimize any potential damage to your home.
Sawing a hole through concrete for the installation of an egress window can get messy. We take precautions to minimize dust and preserve your home.
Standard Water’s experienced crew uses a specialized diamond-bladed ring saw on the outside of the masonry wall to minimize the mess inside your home. We then score the inside of the wall with a special jackhammer fitted with a chisel bit. The blocks are then pounded out with a good old-fashioned maul and a little sweat.
We then trim the opening with green treated lumber. The window is secured and sealed with urethane caulk and special tape to create a high efficiency, insulated seal. A rough-cut cedar trim is added that can be stained or painted at a later date. We finish by anchoring the window well to the wall and backfilling it with gravel to provide drainage and to help hold it in place.
To ensure your new window protects against moisture, our employees incorporate a drain that ties your window well into your Standard Water Control System basement waterproofing system, if present.
Conclusion:
Egress windows can do so much more than you might think. They add light, safety, value, and extra square footage to your home, all while fulfilling a legal requirement. Consider installing an egress window to brighten your living space, save on energy costs, and make sure you and your loved ones are safe and secure in case of emergency.
Contact Standard Water Control today for more information and a free, no obligation consultation.