The Ins and Outs of Finished Basements

New Vermont state fire safety codes require that a finished basement must have at least two means of exiting the building. If you don’t have a walkout basement with a full-sized door, a less expensive alternative may be installing an egress window large enough for people to easily exit and for rescue crews to gain access in case of a fire or other emergency. Installation may require a skilled professional, especially if your basement has solid concrete or concrete block walls.

Where your soil line comes up to the outside of the house will also determine whether you will need to excavate down and install a window well, which typically has to be at a minimum of 40-inches diagonal. If you do have to dig down, be sure to call your local utility providers to have all buried utilities marked out. Last thing you want to do is accidentally dig into an electrical line.

A single egress window must be in “common-use” areas, such as your family room, home office, etc. Other “occassional-use” rooms, such as bathrooms, laundry rooms and utility areas, don’t need emergency egress windows.

Before you start renovating, consult the state code enforcement or your local municipal building inspection department to find out your requirements.