| Page 2 of 3 < > |
A Burning Issue In the Basement
Manufacturers offer a variety of window and window well choices that satisfy building code requirements for basement bedrooms.
(Courtesy Of Bilco Co.)
TOOLBOX
   Resize
COMMENT
 Discussion Policy
 CLOSE
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Who's Blogging  |
Tough, newer code requirements come into play when a permit is filed to finish an older basement, he said, even if there are no plans for a new bedroom. The rule of thumb is simple: If you substantially "finish" a basement, you must add a window.
"If you are finishing your basement in any way," Lynch said, "you need a second way out." "Finishing" includes the addition of a new home theater, family room, rec room or laundry room, he said. The effective date for this provision varies among jurisdictions, but Virginia observes Oct. 1, 2004, said Audrey Clark, director of building plans review for Fairfax County.
Most jurisdictions make a notable exception, exempting basements from the requirement for escape windows if the entire dwelling is fully sprinklered, said Tom Matzen, acting deputy director of Prince George's County's Department of Environmental Resources.
In some jurisdictions, a semantic loophole exists. If a person files a permit plan to finish the basement and identifies a proposed basement living space as anything other than a "bedroom" -- calling it a game room, lounge or such -- a window cannot be required for that space.
"We don't look for furnishings in the room," Lynch said. "We look at the approved plans and how the rooms are labeled."
But Lynch said the same person who wiggles his way through a regulatory loophole could win on a technicality but lose in a three-alarm fire.
"If you play that game," he said, "you are gambling with your life, your children's life or your guest's life. Going from being asleep to waking up and seeing fire blocking your only exit, that's called a deathtrap."
Matzen said code violators may escape the attention of inspectors but rental units are given close scrutiny. "We do get jurisdiction during the rental license inspection period and at that time will require compliance," he said.
Kevin Martell, code compliance officer for Montgomery County, said his office routinely fields complaints "from neighbors, civic associations and disgruntled tenants." Inspectors who find renters sleeping in what they deem a non-complying basement can order them to vacate the bedroom or face civil citation, he said.
Noting that standards, interpretations and compliance timetables vary by jurisdiction, Clark encouraged would-be renovators to consult their local permit officials.
Window Work
Green is an experienced weekend handyman. But after sizing up his window project, he decided to hire a contractor. "I think it's beyond the ability of a do-it-yourselfer," he said. The key stumbling block: cutting through 10 inches of reinforced concrete.
Jessup contractor Roger Grabinski said one of the installation challenges involves wielding a gas-powered concrete saw equipped with a 14-inch diamond-tipped blade. "It's not like a circular saw," he said. "This is a whole different animal."
