Normal 0 false false false EN-CA X-NONE X-NONE Conducting home cottage and commercial inspections in the Orillia, Bracebridge, Gravenhurst and all of ...
Conducting home cottage and commercial inspections in the Orillia,
Basic information for EGRESS WINDOWS
The minimum width of opening is 20 inches.
The minimum height is of opening is 24 inches.
The sill height must be 44 inches or less from interior floor to top of window sill.
Here are some excerpts from the Ontario Building Code:
* An egress window cannot be less than 46 cm. (18") in any direction.
* The window opening has to be at least 3871 sq. cm. (600 sq. inches)
* If there is a window well for the basement window, it must extend 92 cm. (3 feet) out from the house wall. (note: this is the minimum room a fire fighter in full gear needs to get in to rescue you.
Basement living areas require an emergency escape and rescue egress doors and windows. It's the law. Homeowners may come up with all sorts of reasons why they don’t think they need an it however if you have a sleeping area in the basement for family, friends, or a basement rental apartment or room; it is important to have a means of escape in case of a fire or other emergency. Small basement windows do not allow for escape and can easily create a death trap in the basement. Many basements have only one real means of escape inside, to climb up a set of wooden stairs to the main floor. If the fire is on the main floor such as in the kitchen you would be trapped in the basement. There would be no means to get to you by emergency services such as the fire department. If the fire started in the furnace or mechanical room you could easily be blocked and trapped.
For both peace of mind for your loved ones, not to mention your liability if someone did get hurt or lost their life in a fire, investing in a basement egress window and doing it right is well worth it.
If you rent out a granny suite or maybe rent out a room in the basement it is your responsibility as the homeowner/ landlord to insure a safe means of escape from a fire, you are liable and responsible to insure that means of escape is there and meets local building code requirements for a basement egress window.
Installing a basement egress window may sound easy, but there is a lot more to it than just cutting a hole and installing the new window. There are structural concerns when increasing the windows width, the wall and header must be addressed to meet building code requirements for a egress window there may also be concerns with height from the floor. There are drainage concerns as the egress window area has to be excavated all the way down to the base of the homes foundation or footing to tie into your homes existing drainage system. A drainage tile from the egress window well must be installed into the existing drainage system to prevent the window well from flooding into the basement or holding water that could freeze a window shut in the winter. This can be a real hazard in the Bracebridge Gravenhurst and Muskoka area. The well will have to have to be gravel filled after excavation to aid in drainage of the egress window well system.
During any of my home cottage or commercial inspections in Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, Muskoka and Orillia I look to assure my clients that the windows from any bedroom are assessable to the exterior and that they are the correct size for proper exiting in case of fire. In addition for fire safety if windows are below grade are the window wells the correct size and accessible for firefighters. Reporting on proper egress windows and window wells is just too important not to get Done Right
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