In broad terms, an egress window is a type of window that provides a means of emergency escape from different sections of a home. This could be any room that people will use to sleep in. Here, we’ll talk about egress windows specifically in the context of habitable basements. As the basement is enclosed underground with just one way to enter and exit through the inside of the house, egress windows are necessary to provide another way to safely get out if that interior door is blocked. They also deliver some much-needed natural lighting and open-air ventilation to the otherwise dark space.
If you’re thinking about converting or finishing your basement to make it into a livable room, building code requires you to put in an egress window. You might start to wonder how exactly to go about installing it after learning this information, as well as how you can save the most money during the process. But be warned—egress windows are not an aspect of your home that you should cut corners on. There are several reasons a professional should install an egress window and no one else, and we’ll examine them here.
They’ll Install It Without Error
You might believe that attempting to put in a basement egress window yourself will save you money, but the reality is often not in line with this presumption. When installing the window, you must be extremely precise with digging and placing the frame, as well as attaching it to the space you created for it. If you accidentally leave any spaces between the frame and the edges of the wall adjacent to it, pests such as insects and small animals can use that gap to freely come inside your home.
On days when you are using your HVAC system to cool or heat your house, the openings can also transfer heat. This can either let in hot air that you don’t want when you’re baking from high temperatures, or it can allow precious warmth to escape on freezing days.
In addition, if you start to notice that your work on installing the window is incorrect in any way, you can end up spending much more to remediate those errors and then have the window put in properly by a professional. It’s far better to defer to the experts from the get-go and avoid headaches.
They’ll Make Sure It’s Waterproof
Besides air and pests, a serious consideration you need to make with an egress window is water. Without even taking into account the inevitability of precipitation and outdoor moisture, the window can become a prime location for damaging leaks and even foundation weakening. More than simply fitting the window correctly into place, a professional will install design features to keep water out of your home. They will put a drain in the window well that forms the exterior space so the window can exist below ground level. This drain can connect to a sump pump in the basement that will redirect water far enough from the home that it can no longer affect it. Your window well won’t fill up with sitting water, nor will any water trickle into the basement as a result.
Egress window specialists can also build in a transparent window well cover that stops water from entering it in the first place. These durable plastic covers are fitted to the dimensions of your egress window and its window well. While you may have trouble choosing the right cover for your window and attaching it, a professional can smoothly take care of that part of the process as well.
They’ll Ensure Safety
Due to their positioning and the extent to which you must change the wall to install them, putting in egress windows can also be a dangerous undertaking. Professionals are already familiar with the risks involved and will adhere to any relevant regulations. These may have to do with how they position the window, its dimensions, and what materials and chemicals are safe to use during the installation. Egress window experts will work in a way that does not cause and will not lead to health hazards. They will also make sure that your home’s foundation remains undamaged so that its structure remains secure.
Furthermore, professionals will possess and know how to operate the tools necessary for adding egress windows to a basement. Examples could be heavy-duty power saws and drills. You might not have these kinds of tools or you may not know how to approach using them on the basement wall to safely make an opening for the egress window. Professionals will have all the equipment they need at the ready, and they’ll know what to do with them.
They’ll Cleanup Thoroughly
A final reason a professional should install an egress window is that they will effectively take care of the cleanup afterward. All that extensive work that they do will unavoidably lead to a lot of leftover dirt, debris, and dust particles. These don’t just make your home look and feel filthy, but they can also aggravate your lungs if you breathe them in over time.
A trustworthy professional will make certain that all this is removed from your basement after they have completed the egress window installation itself. When you go and look over the window, the basement, and the area of the yard where the window well has been installed, you won’t see huge piles or powdery coatings of leftover material remnants that you then need to get rid of yourself.
So with all these reasons, it is easy to see why having professionals do the work of putting in egress windows is an ideal path to take. If you’re upgrading your basement into a livable space or you just want to add an extra safety feature to it, get in touch with The Real Seal today. We offer escape window installation services and, because we carry out basement waterproofing in Chicago, you can be sure that your new window will be sealed against the elements correctly.
