Basement remodeling is a popular project for many homeowners, particularly in an era when multigenerational homes continue to expand. Providing safe basement egress, however, is often overlooked and potentially dangerous, and could even lead to unplanned hardship when it comes time to eventually sell.
“Just because a basement is built out doesn’t mean it’s legal,’’ said Jason Weinstein, the owner of Budget Dry in Connecticut and one of the nation’s few Certified Egress Specialists. “It can be a tough situation. You purchase a home with a bedroom in the basement, you assume that it’s supposed to be there. If you’re buying a home with a finished basement, and especially with a bedroom in the basement, you have to do your homework before the purchase to make sure it’s a permitted space.”
Egress code falls under International Building Code Section R310, which states “Basements and every sleeping room shall have at least one operable emergency and rescue opening. Such opening shall open directly into a public street, public alley, yard or court.” Weinstein earned his egress certification in 2014 and is secretary/treasurer of the Basement Health Association, a national organization dedicated to educating the public about waterproofing, water diversion, structural repair and basement health.
Code-compliant egress is critical to allow residents an escape route in case of fire, and to allow for the safe entry of rescue personnel. “If an opening isn’t large enough for a firefighter or emergency responder to enter through, you’re also putting their lives in danger,’’ Weinstein said. “Proper egress isn’t just for your family’s safety. It also ensures our first responders get to go home to their families, too.”
Homeowners who have a finished basement without a direct means of egress can get up to code by installing a basement egress window or a basement door. Weinstein installs products manufactured by The BILCO Company of Connecticut, which offers two designs of code-compliant window wells.
“It doesn’t take someone with a lot of skill to install a window,’’ Weinstein said. “But it does take knowledge to understand how it will impact the home. If it’s not designed properly, in the basic homebuilding sense, you’re going to have problems. You could see the well start to bow, or it could cause a basement to flood.”
Weinstein’s first step is to obtain building permits, site plans and knowing where to dig. His team then starts the excavation process, which includes a trenchbox as an added safety precaution. Workers then cut the basement wall and chip out by hand the area in the wall where the basement egress window will be installed.
His team then puts the well in place with two types of waterproofing to ensure a strong seal, and then installs the basement window. In the final step, teams fill in surrounding voids with stone (rather than dirt) for proper drainage. Wells can be capped by a clear cover or grate.
“Often people will plan the basement from the inside out,’’ Weinstein said. “For egress, you want to work from the outside in. You need to excavate it properly, and you have to watch for buried utility lines, including those that aren’t on the plans. There could be an issue with drainage. You need to be careful and have to know what you’re doing.”
Weinstein said egress is frequently misunderstood by homeowners and real estate agents. One popular misconception is homeowners don’t always realize that egress is especially critical for first responders. “Egress is all about life and safety,’’ he said. “It’s not based on the person on the inside who is going out. It’s based on the person coming in with big, heavy equipment.”
If a homeowner is planning a basement remodeling project, Weinstein said it’s important to consider a contractor certified in egress. “It means you’re knowledgeable of the codes and what is required in egress,’’ Weinstein said. “We’ll present options, rather than a cookie-cutter approach, and we’ll tell you what the pitfalls are and how to avoid them.”
