When you’re contacting local basement window replacement contractors near you it helps knowing the requirements needed for basement windows, the types and more information on the different materials.
Those are some of the things we will be covering in this article.
If you’re planning on remodeling your basement and installing an extra bedroom, you should know that there are certain things you cannot get out of. Installing at least one egress window in a bedroom, meaning one window that lives up to certain requirements allowing a person to escape through it if there’s a disaster of some kind.
Egress windows have certain specifications they need to live up to. Since you will need at least one of these windows if you plan on creating an extra bedroom there, the remodel should also include you installing the egress window.
Egress Window Requirements
There are certain requirements for a window to be considered egress, and thereby one that people can escape through during times of disaster, including its opening not being more than 44 inches above the finished floor. For it to have the ability for people to escape through it, the opening must be no less than 5.7 square feet for people to be able to escape through them. That doesn’t mean the window can simply be 2×3 feet, it need to be the actual space that opens that is at least 5.7 square feet.
The opening width needs to be at least 20 inches wide and 24 inches high, and there’s a minimum to how big it needs to be relative to the room’s overall size. If the egress window is below ground level, a window well is required with ladders or steps where the window well is deeper than 44 inches.
If you are thinking of replacing a basement window, read the types of windows below. These satisfy the egress window codes, which will help you upgrade your existing basement window into an egress type.
Types of Basement Windows Built to Satisfy Egress Window Code
There are different types of windows that may be made so that they fit the egress requirements, thereby allowing you to create an additional bedroom in your basement.
- Casement
The most common and easiest to install window is the casement window that has a very simple opening mechanism. It swings open outside thereby allowing air and sunlight to get inside. You should obviously make sure that it has an opening mechanism that you like.
Since the window swings out, it’s important to make sure there’s nothing standing outside that limits its range of motion and that it can fully open when it is needed. When you consider installing this window, you will need to make sure that it has enough space in the window well or outside to open. When you’re wondering how much it will actually cost to have installed, the easiest way to get that answered is to fill out the form at the top of this page to get competing quotes.
There are different factors that makes it difficult to accurately say and the price quoted by the installer will be what you end up paying in the end anyway.
- Horizontal sliding
Horizontal sliding windows operate a different way that will require that they have more window space to operate relative to the size of your wall because the opening space isn’t as big as the one of casement windows. The advantage with these windows is that they don’t have the same space requirements in front of the window where the casement type otherwise opens.
The actual window that will need to be installed will need to be bigger but the panels slide horizontally and a lot of people also like this. A lot of homeowners will in fact choose windows that are bigger than the egress requirements since it will also let in more light and air in a space that may otherwise end up seeming relatively hostile due to the lack of these things.
When window wells are required, those will need to be purchased also to allow a person to be able to exit. The cheaper options you will find for that will set you back another $300 whereas more advanced ones can climb to costing as much as $2,000, plus installation. Be aware that you will need to look at the window well through the window most of the time, so some people choose to spend a little bit more on it, or at least have it finished in a way that they like.
If your window requires a window well, you should ensure that the quote accurately reflects it. When one quote comes in significantly lower than the others, it may simply be because the price of the well installation hasn’t been included in the quoted price.
Make sure that you’re actually comparing the right things in the quotes.
Basement Window Materials
Window installers have access to different types of materials that each will give a different ambiance. The type of material you choose will also very much affect the price of the window installation as well as the necessary maintenance that you will have to deal with.
- Vinyl
It’s popular because it’s a cheap option, often the cheapest, and it’s both easy to install and maintain which a lot of homeowners appreciate. Additionally, it doesn’t rot which will happen to wood if improperly maintained. Any customization will obviously end up costing you more but it is possible to have done as to better fit your needs. Other materials may deteriorate in direct sunlight, but that’s not the case with this type of material.
The color options are many and while you do not need to have it repainted often, you can choose to if you want. The disadvantage is that it doesn’t quite look as well as some of the other options, nor is it as durable. Steel and other types of metal are inevitably more durable than vinyl which is made from plastic.
Vinyl is still a good, affordable option that you should be considering.
- Metal
Being a lot more durable than vinyl is one of the traits that helps in making them a more popular option. They also look better than vinyl ones do, and if you have the room in your budget but you do not wish to deal with too much maintenance, you should be looking into metal as the material.
Steel is more expensive and if you want anything customized, you’ll be waiting longer to have it done than is the case with vinyl. The installer will come out and do the measurements and if you choose to have a custom made window, then you might be looking at having to wait 4 weeks before it is installed. Single steel basement windows will set you back $600 or more and ones that live up to the egress requirements can easily end up costing you more than that.
- Wood
Wood window are appreciated for their aesthetics and can also be used for basement windows. This type of material, however, will need more maintenance than the two previously mentioned materials. Wood fences, wood siding and anything else made out of this material will need regular upkeep to make sure that it doesn’t deteriorate prematurely.
Especially with basements often having more moisture than the rest of the house, maintenance becomes especially important. The first thing you will need to do is obviously to ensure that potential water leaks are treated and that the sump pump is working properly to limit the amount of moisture in the basement.
With that being said, it’s still a popular option because it insulates very well and it looks just great, and that will help in ensuring that the temperature in the basement stays comfortable and that you won’t be needing to put your HVAC unit to the test.
Staining or repainting is the main thing that will need to be done to make sure they keep looking beautiful, and it also means that you can change their color if you wish to do so. All you need to know is that you will have a hard time getting them back to a stage where they can be stained if they have previously been painted.
They’re a lot more paint-friendly than vinyl ones for instance, although they’re also more expensive than those.
As with other types of home improvement projects, you will need to figure out what your budget is and than make a decision with that in mind, as well as the purpose you want them to serve.
If you are only planning on installing one window and there currently are none, you will want to make it one that lives up to the egree requirements so that it makes the home a lot more functional too since it now lives up to the requirements for being counted as a bedroom.
Getting Free Estimates or Quotes
There are obviously a lot of considerations you need to make, but the easiest way to stay within your set budget is to get quotes from competing contractors, which is easy to do. You simply need to fill out the form at the top of the page and we will match your project with the 4 most relevant contractors in your area that can help you.
They will reach out to you to better understand the project at which point you will also receive quotes that you can compare.
It only takes 2 minutes to fill out the form, it’s free for you, and there’s no obligation to hire any of the contractors, making it very easy for you to save money on your window installation using this process. What are you waiting for?