Installing an Egress Window when the ground is Frozen
December 9, 2009 | 2 Comments
I have received a lot of e-mails and phone calls lately asking how late I can install Egress Windows so I decided to write this blog post on the subject. I can install Egress Windows all season long. There are several reasons why this is not as difficult as you might think. First, the ground near your foundation does not usually freeze to the extent that it does every where else, do to the heat escaping from your home. Secondly, professionals that have been in the business for any length of time have invested in tools to perform such tasks. I would venture to say that most installers use a mini backhoe to dig out there wells. While this is generally the easiest way I have not found it to be the most professional. In the summer they often leave tracks in your lawn and are a nightmare to maneuver in tight city lots, not to mention having to disassemble gates to gain access to the job site. In the hands of a less than capable operator they can also do thousands of dollars of damage to your foundation as well. That is why I chose to use a demolition hammer with a spade bit.
It is certainly not the easiest or the quickest method, though I do believe it is the best. I generally only have to break through a foot of frost before I can continue to dig by hand. If you have any local utilities that were not marked by Excel, it also a lot easier to see them and avoid any costly repairs. It is also a lot safer to use around your foundation than a back hoe.
People are also often concerned about how long it takes to install an Egress window. It most cases I have the well dug, and the window installed in a day. I generally takes 20 minutes once I cut out the hole from the foundation for the window till the new window is installed. During this time I have the inside of the room sealed off to prevent as much cold air from entering as possible. As long as you hire a professional, installing an Egress Window in the winter is no different than any other time of year. So don’t wait till spring to finish your basement or add that extra bedroom, you can enjoy the safety and natural light an Egress Window provides today.
John
Installing an Egress Window in a Limestone foundation
September 6, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Every egress window installation is unique. The block is different sizes, hardness, and your horizontal cut may or may not end up on a mortar joint. Recently I installed an egress window in a limestone foundation. Although I have installed 100’s of egress windows, this was a distinctively different experience. To begin with there is no information online that was helpful, which is my reason for writing this article. Unlike a block foundation that can be cut from both sides with a partner saw, or a poured concrete foundation that can be cut with a diamond tipped chainsaw, I could not use either of these options. Every tool rental store I contacted expressly forbid using there chainsaw on limestone foundations, and after cutting it with my partner saw I can see why, it really did a number on my blade.
The best advise I can give is to cut the opening from the outside as deep as your partner saw will cut, for me that is about 4 inches. Once the limestone has been scored as deep as it can be, starting at the bottom, remove the pieces that come free. Once this done, you can take a sledge hammer and break the limestone off as long as there is nothing supporting it underneath, and there is a score cut in at least 1/3 on the stone. This will get you through about 90% of the foundation. Inevitably there will be a large stone that will need to be cut by bringing the partner saw into the opening and horizontally cut the stone as best you can, then bring out the sledge hammer to finish the job.
Simply put, these are very difficult and time consuming foundations to cut and install egress windows. I would not recommend attempting this if it is your first egress window. If you are determined to do it yourself, make sure to take your time, and use the saw as much as you can in order to minimize damage to the rest of the foundation, particularly if there is a one piece stone header running along the top.
Edit 8 DEC 2009
I just completed another egress window in limestone foundation. This time after cutting the limestone with my partner saw, I used my demolition hammer with a 2 1/2 inch chisel bit and I was done in about 20 minutes. Even if I encountered a large stone as long as it was scored the demo hammer made short work of it.
Egress Window Drainage
April 30, 2009 | 3 Comments
Do you have an Egress Window that looks more like a fish bowl than a window? All to often I have found contractors who will install an Egress Window were the yard slopes toward the foundation, there are no gutters, and they didn’t even bother to slope the inside of the well away from the window and fill it with rock. This is a recipe for disaster. Take a look at the following picture of poorly installed Egress Window.
In the first picture the yard was slopped toward the house, the dirt in the bottom of the well was level, and there was no rock for drainage. To compound the problem their was a large block patio surrounding the Egress Window. The homeowner’s have already had water come through the window and block since they had there basement finished. Not only will water destroy the wood and drywall around the window, but the carpet and pad is very difficult to dry. Additionally, there is often a problem with mold in the fiberglass insulation and drywall if you just try to dry the material out.
Since the house had 4 inch drain tile empting into a sump well with a sump pump, the most economically sound way to prevent water from entering the basement through the Egress Window was to install a drain in the bottom of the well that ties in to the house’s existing interior perimeter drain tile. In order to do this, approximately 5 feet of soil needs to be removed from the well, or 2 foot below the footing. Then, a 4 inch tee is tied into the existing drain tile, and a 10 foot section of solid 4 inch drain tile is installed. The soil is replaced and a square drain is attached to the end of 10 foot section of drain tile. The soil is sloped away from the window and toward the drain. A sheet of 4 to 6 mil poly is laid at the bottom of the well. Finally, rock is placed in the bottom of well and the system is checked with a hose to insure proper installation.
Choosing an Egress WIndow
March 16, 2009 | 2 Comments
When it comes to egress, not all windows are created equal. As you remodel, you’ll want new egress windows that match the style of the existing windows and meet egress requirements. This can be a challenge. Bear in mind these pros and cons.
Casement windows: These side-hinged windows fulfill egress requirements while taking up the smallest amount of wall space. This makes them ideal for egress windows in basements or other areas where space is limited. Some manufacturers can install a special operator arm that allows the window to open wider than the standard operating arm to meet egress requirements. Others have an operator arm that can be pushed to open the window wider in an emergency. These meet egress requirements as long as you leave the “PUSH HERE” label in place.
Double-hung windows: Even when it’s fully open, more than half of a double-hung window’s overall area is blocked by glass. This means that to meet egress window height requirements, a window must be nearly 4 ft. 9 in. in overall height. This height requirement takes it out of the running for most basement egress situations.
Gliding windows: To meet egress requirements, these horizontally sliding windows must be at least 4 ft. wide and 4 ft. high. This extra glass area and the light it lets in is pretty darn nice in a basement area, if you have the space.
Awning windows: These top-hinged windows make lousy egress windows. They don’t meet egress requirements in basements because the opened sash impedes entrance and exit. And those with center opening mechanisms don’t meet code because the hardware gets in the way. Only those with special hardware will meet egress requirements—and there aren’t many available.
Certain skylights meet egress requirements as long as they’re installed within 44 in. of the floor. One company (Velux, 800-888-3589; www.velux-america. com) offers two sizes of egress windows.
If you’re replacing a smaller window with a larger one that meets egress requirements, bear in mind that enlarging the height of the opening takes less structural work than enlarging the width. Increasing width means installing a larger, beefier horizontal structural header over the window opening—a major project. Increasing height is often only a matter of lowering the height of the sill below the window.
Egress Window Safety Article
January 25, 2008 | 2 Comments
According to the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, thousands of fires occur in homes each year. Many of the fires take place at night when your loved ones are sleeping and unaware. Tragically, the occupants are usually asphyxiated long before the fire would have even reached them. Thankfully such loss is easily preventable by incorporating operable smoke detectors and egress windows.
Minnesota State Building Code requires basements and every sleeping room to have at least one operable emergency egress opening. Windows must have a minimum net clear opening of 5.7 square feet. At Brenne Builders we typically install casement windows that are at a minimum 29”W x 48”L to give a net clear opening of more than 9 square feet. The window well must be at least 9 square feet with a minimum projection of 3 feet from the window. At Brenne Builders we install permanent ladders in all our egress windows, whether they are required or not to give you and your loved ones peace of mind.
Brenne Builders provides many options for your egress window well needs. Our more custom work usually incorporates cedar or green treat 4×4 timbers. Recently I have started installing high quality pre-manufactured plastic window wells by Wellcraft. These are not like the cheap plastic or galvanized wells you have probably seen in the past. I have been very impressed with these window wells because they combine looks, safety (built in ladders), and longevity (won’t rot).
2008 Brenne Buliders
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