Installing an Egress window in basement
mick182
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
Could anyone provide some insight into what is involved in installing an egress window in a basement.
Basement in question is a poured foundation with standard hopper windows, 8″ ceiling height. I plan on removing just one of the hoppers to enlarge for egress.
Any info or links to info would be appreciated. I’m not sure about how to properly prep/ enlarge opening in foundation and how to shore up the exterior.
Am going to do my research, but always like to “check in” here for advice along the way 😉
Replies
Mick
You'll need to head off the framing above the window.
Footing and retaining foundation around the perimeter of the exterior opening, I've seen too many window wells settle and pull away from the main wall, allowing water to enter the space. Proper waterproofing and provide a drain for the well.
Make sure the clear opening widths and ht. off the floor are correct for your inspection dept.
I'd hire a concrete cutting company for the opening.
Good info! Could you elaborate on any of the footing/drainage/waterproofing techniques at all? Where would I look for a "concrete cutting guy"? What trade does that? Mason?
Thanks Calvin
Mick
You'd treat the waterproofing as if it was your basement wall. The water stays out (except for what rains in) and that's taken away by the drain.
You also are interupting your regular foundation drain AND the foundation water proofing. This you want to deal with by taking the found. tile around the new work, sealing the new wall to old found wall so ground water doesn't get in between the two. And the drain to take the water that gets in-----OUT. Remember, you are building a footing and wall like a basement (or crawl) with NO ROOF.
Use rebar from footing up into the new pour or block to keep the new walls from buckling. I'm unsure on pinning it to the old foundation-that's one I cannot answer-best ask a good foundation man/woman.
Here in NW Oh, I know a couple-one does everything from major highway work to the little piss ass job I can provide. They cut floors, walls, highways, drill cores for anything. They can bolt their saw on the wall and give you a pretty damn good and plumb/level and sq. hole. There will be overcut esp. if you don't let them cut from both sides at the top (or bottom).
Where are you located?
There are masons and concrete guys that'll do it with a handheld saw, but you get wat you get. Might be good, but might not.
I do know that some will just excavate, lay up something to hold the earth back, put stone in the bottom and call it done. Works for a while, but certainly not a high quality job. If you're getting a permit and inspection, they might have even more requirements on the work outside.
and..........
This can be a damp area. I would think vinly or fibreglass window unit. And probably use PVC to any finish that is outside. Maybe even as a liner inside the cut opening-mount your window to that. Sure, you can use treated wood, but that doesn't mean it won't get soaked, remain wet and yes, even rot. It'll pick up dampness and just might transfer it to where you don't want it.
best of luck.
Helpful info Calvin, thanks. I'm located in NY btw.
Are you familiar with any of the "kit" style egress set ups?
I was doing a little "surfing" and came across a few such as Bilko etc...looks like that could be a option, to get a "sysyem" in place.
I'm not as concerned with getting the hole cut and window in as much as i am with providing the proper footing and foundation work along with retaining structure whatever that may end up being. I think a 'kit" would be a good starting point for me to research along with providing proper drainage etc....
anyone out there with any experience with installing egress' in basements....do chime in :)
Thanks Calvin for your insight, feel free to add to it if anything else comes to mind
Bilko has been around for aeons and has always marketed to consumers. Sold a lot of retrofits, especially the old-style basement stairway hatches. Used to be regarded as good quality, but I have no idea about their current quality.
You asked earlier (I think) about the "concrete cutting guy". This would be an outfit that has the power equipment for cleanly cutting through poured concrete. They have such things as hydraulic-powered chainsaws and circ saws that can make a cleaner cut in concrete than I can in a piece of wood. Any reasonably urban area should have one or two such outfits locally -- Google "concrete cutting" along with your city/state.
Mick
Yessir, your searching produced another alternative. Looks good.
I came across a couple of youtube video sites of guys doing basement egress. They excavated and poured in pea stone for the base. It didn't show what, if anything after that. Is that the base, just peas stone? Didn't show how deep they went down when excavating, or how much pea stone (depth in inches) that was laid down.
Do you know what a proper depth to excavate to is? Do you go to the bottom of the foundation? Also am curious as to how much of a layer of "pea stone" would be sufficient, and if there is any "code" as to how much distance, if any, is required from "pea stone" base to the bottom of window?Any thoughts?
Pea stone by itself doesn't do much besides look pretty and hide the pool of water that collects in the well.
Don't scrimp on excavating the well -- make sure you have plenty of room for clearance, and you'll want to add a drain at the bottom. Hire the concrete cutter.
Sorry, have been away. Back to work now :(
Getting back to this thread,......I can't seem to locate info for laying a proper base for the exterior of egress. All I have found was similar to previously mentioned "pea stone" base? No info on how much etc...?
I hear what your saying about the peas stone just "looking good". Any thoughts on how to handle the base properly?
I plan on excavating a 6x6 area around the existing window to be "egressed"l, which should give me enough room to work and leave an acceptable area for the new retaining well wall once installed, backfilled etc...
Still just trying to find out the best way to go about providing proper drainage at base. Any thoughts appreciated.
I didn't see your previous reply.......
But I'm wondering if you're still looking at using the Bilco enclosure?
What do they suggest for a footing for their unit?
I can't remember if with bolting it to your foundation is enough to hold it in place-perhaps it can float on stone..............
Drainage depends on your local conditions. Ideal is to install a drain line to daylight, but that's often impossible. If the soil is relatively porous with a low water table then you can just fill the bottom with a couple inches of gravel and call it good. If the soild is heavy clay or you have a high water table then you may need to be inventive.
If I were to dig down to find the existing drain pipe, then cut into it and install a "tee", then extend the pipe upward and attach a basin at top, would this be a proper drain for this project? Also, once the drain pipe is set, should I back fill with soil or stone? I was thinking to maybe backfill most with soil, then the last six inches or so with stone. Basically the catch basin would sit on six inches of stone sloped toward the drain? Or should more stone be used as back fill?
Not clear what you mean by "existing drain pipe". If you mean a footing drain, then yes, that would be a good way to do it. You shouldn't tie into a regular sewer line, for several reasons.
Mick
Here I have a clay that doesn't drain. If you dug a hole, filled it with water and then covered it-you could come back in a month and still have most of the water in the hole. When the ground becomes saturated it takes a long long time to dry out.
In older houses and even new construction here, if you don't install exterior drainage and backfill with stone, chances are good you will have problems down the road with water entry on up to buckled basement walls (as water fills the gap between dried out clay and the foundation.
In your case, I'd get as much stone as you can without compromising the house footing (you're essentially lowering grade in that area ((frost line)). I'd dig sloping the soil away from the foundation at the bottom. I'd backfill the enclosure with stone on the outside and probably use silt fabric on top, sloping the soil away from that also. I'd put down silt fabric and then maybe lay patio block or pavers with a drain grill in that. This will help keep leaves etc from clogging the stone in the well and make it easier to clean up the stuff that does get down there.. You are pretty much making a french drain. I'd certainly waterproof the foundation wall in the entire area of excavation.
or not.
Depends on soil conditions, frost line, amount of rain you get in your area, roof overhang etc.
Large amounts of pea gravel would be a poor choice. It's very poor footing, and if someone is actually egressing they're likely in a hurry and could get tripped up by it. Maybe 2", if you like the look.
Probably your best bet (short of an actual drain) is to do as (IIRC) Calvin says and use as much crushed rock in the hole as you can manage, possibly carrying it out well past the well (you want area, not depth), then top with some sort of paver block.
basement egress
mick
click on this link https://www.finehomebuilding.com/PDF/Protected/021189086.pdf link
it pretty much covers it start to finish hope this helps
I helped with one of these. It was a kit, with the window well, ladder, and a rain cover. And a metal grate for security and in case anyone tried to stand on the rain cover.
As best as I recall we dug a hole and cut through the concrete with a rented concrete saw. It made a huge mess, as you might well imagine.
We bolted the metal shell to the concrete, then put the window in the new hole in the foundation. (Sized for egress, of course)
For drainage, we dug down to the footing drain and tied into it. Since this particular unit had a cover over it I doubt that water was much of an issue. We put 3/4" clean gravel in the bottom of the well.
I thought it looked pretty slick when done. Definitely a good idea if you have someone sleeping in a basement.