Many Central Indiana homeowners are looking to add sleeping space to their lower levels. However, local building codes require a transparent exterior exit in a bedroom located in a basement. So what is a homeowner to do if an appropriate door or window is not present? We solved this issue for our West Carmel clients by building an attractive egress window.
Original basement: This home was built in 2005 in the Village of West Clay development. The original builder finished about two-thirds of the basement, leaving a significant amount of unused space. When asked why they decided to remodel, they homeowners said, “We have triplets – two boys and a girl. The boys have shared a bedroom for the past 12 years. We wanted them to have their own space, so we decided to do that by remodeling our basement and giving them their own bedrooms.”
Egress window: Local building codes required the addition of an egress window and window well to be built in the new bedroom. The driveway is very close to the window so the design included the installation of a decorative wrought iron fence around the window well. The existing concrete foundation wall was cut and a new window meeting building code for egress was installed. The window well outside the new 48-by-48-foot window was designed to allow natural daylight and ventilation into lower-level living areas, satisfying section R310.2 of the International Building Code (IRC 2009) for emergency egress. The terraced step design also facilitates emergency egress and can be used as a planter for added visual enhancement. The designer chose a soft earth tone color for the stones to complement the basement interior and to blend with the landscaping and exterior colors.
Final result: The homeowner decided to add a new walk-in closet in the new bedroom. The new bedroom has the same square footage as the other bedroom that already existed in the basement. They both have the same look and feel and now each boy has his own room. The homeowner commented, “It doesn’t feel like a basement. It’s very warm and comfortable down there. The boys absolutely love it.”
Are you considering adding additional sleeping space to your lower level? Schedule a free consultation with one of our designers today. 317-846-2600
