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If you're building a home, completing renovations or additions on your home, or finishing your basement, then you might hear your contractor throwing around the phrase "egress windows." If you're not familiar with this phrase, you might think they're talking about a certain style of window, or even a brand of window that they prefer to build with. However, egress windows are actually a very important part of having a home that is up to code and safe for inhabitants. This article will introduce you to what egress windows are, what requirements they must meet, and when you need to worry about having them installed. If you discover that you need egress window installation in St. Paul, MN, then work with a certified contractor to ensure that the windows are up to code. What Is It? An egress window is a window that is required in certain rooms in accordance with government safety regulations. The windows are designed to provide a safe and easy means for people to exit the dwelling in case of an emergency, such as a fire. When Are They Needed? Egress windows are required in any bedroom in your home, no matter what floor that bedroom may be on. This means that if you have a bedroom in the basement, you are legally required to have a window large enough for someone to escape through, and a window well or other means for the person to reach ground level safely. Any room that acts as sleeping quarters must have an egress window, so if you have a room that you convert into a bedroom, the window must meet requirements as an egress window in order for the space to be considered safe. What Are the Requirements? The size requirements can vary by city and state, so it's important that you know what the exact codes are in your area. At the very least, make sure you have an inspector or contractor verify that your windows are up to code during any renovations or construction. Here are the criteria that egress windows must meet in order to satisfy the International Residential Code, to give you an idea of what the size requirements may be: - The width of the window opening must be 20 inches or more.
- The height of the window opening must be 24 inches or more.
- The minimum size of the opening (without the screen) must be at least 5.7 square feet, or 5 square feet for windows on the ground floor.
- The bottom of the window cannot be more than 44 inches above the floor.
It's important to note that in order to meet the minimum opening size, your window cannot simply meet the minimum height and width requirements. A window that is only 20 inches wide and 24 inches high would only yield an opening size of 3.3 square feet. So if your window just meets the minimum width requirement, that means it will have to be at least 42 inches high in order to have the correct sized opening. Or, if your window just meets the minimum height requirement, it will need to be 24 inches wide in order to have an opening of 5.7 inches. If your egress windows are in a basement room, there are some additional requirements for the window well. The window well must allow the window to be fully opened and provide at least 9 square feet of ground space around the area. If the well is more than 44 inches deep, it must also have a ladder or steps to exit the window well. In order to ensure that your windows and window wells meet all of these requirements, work with a company that specializes in egress window installation in St. Paul, MN.
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egress, window, installation, st, paul, mn,
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