Egress Windows

Egress windows are usually done in basements as they are normally installed for Fire Escape reasons.

By its Wikipedia definition “A window big enough and low enough so that occupants can escape through the opening in an emergency, such as a fire.”

The point of Egress Windows is that you HAVE to have two fire exits from the basement, one is the stairs up into the house and the second will be the Egress Window.

In Ontario there are a few basic dimensions needed for Egress Windows to be legal:

• the clear escape opening has to be at least 3.8 square foot.
• The short opening side has to be at least 15”.
• above the window a steel Lintel has to be installed, “L “shape in the size of 3 ½” x 3 ½” x ¼” thick.
• There has to be a wood veneer (Plywood is ok) between the window and the cement/bricks.
• Outside below the bottom cut of the wall you need at least 4” of clear space to the ground so that water will not penetrate the house.
• If a well is needed then the projection from the wall needs to be at least 22” from the wall.
• If a well is installed, then a drain pipe (with holes and a sock filled with gravel) needs to be inserted to just above the weeping tile, and the top of the earth in the well has to have at least 2” of gravel .

When we do an egress window we like to use a Vinyl window, Energy star quality, the style is Double slider Lift Out.

In this style both sliding sides can be lifted and taken out of the frame so that only the frame remains in the wall.

The order of work is:

1. First we measure in and out to make sure its fits, then we have to call “locate”
2. They determine the gas line location so it does not interfere with the dig.
3. In the first day the hole is dug much larger then needed so that the cement cutting machines will fit into the dig.
4. On the second day we cut the wall, install the Lintel, install the brick veneer, install the window, then foam insulation the outside and calk from the window to the wood, then we install aluminum capping to cover all the outside and protect the space from window to cement (include capping on the visible side of the lintel).
5. On the third day we come again with the water proofing crew and install the pipe, the well wall, and fill in the dig inside with the top 2 inch with gravel, fill the outside of the well wall  and dispose of all the extra earth.

Our Egress windows are backed by a lifetime transferrable warranty for the window materials, seal failure, and workmanship.