What is an Egress Window?
An egress window is a large window with a well to provide an emergency entrance or exit to a basement room. These windows provide an easy means of escape during an emergency.
Are Egress Windows Required?
Yes. In many areas of Nebraska and Iowa, egress windows are required by law for basements used as bedrooms or living areas. There are specific dimensions and requirements that must be met when installing egress windows.
What are the Requirements for Egress Windows?
An egress window located in a basement or other limited-access space must be at least 20-inches wide and 24-inches tall. It must provide an opening of at least 5.7 square feet with the bottom of the window no higher than 44 inches from the ground. Finally, it must be accessible to anyone without the use of force.
What are the Requirements for Egress Window Wells?
For basement egress windows, the well must provide enough space to that the window can open freely at the bottom. If the well is deeper than 44-inches, a permanent ladder or staircase is required. The ladder must be at least 36-inches in length and must extend beyond the window well no less than three and no more than six inches.
Are Egress Window Covers Required?
Egress window covers are attached to the top of the window wells to prevent someone from falling in. Although a cover is not required for a window well, it does add an extra safety feature. The cover must provide the same amount of 5.7 square feet in clearance with an opening a minimum of 20-inches wide. Most importantly, the well cover must be easy to open so that any child or adult can release the cover without a key or tool.
As long as the egress cover fulfills all of these requirements, it is legal to install it over an egress window well. Certainly, it provides a valuable safety feature in preventing someone from falling into the well.
What are the Benefits of an Egress Window Cover?
Saves You Energy and Money
A cover on an egress window well will help conserve energy by adding an extra insulation layer. On their own, basement windows are not great at keeping temperature-controlled air inside or cold drafts out. This is especially true in the cold Midwestern winter months.
Adds Security to Your Home
Because egress window covers are easily opened from the inside rather than the outside, they can give you peace of mind by keeping intruders out. They may also act as a visual deterrent simply by having them.
Acts as a Storm Barrier
Since your egress window is a safety feature, you want to ensure it stays in tip-top shape. A cover will keep your window safe from storm damage and flooding and prevent snow and ice build-up.
Beyond that, it may also prevent seepage from any saturation around your home. Water leaking into your basement through your windows can cause harmful mold and mildew, affecting the air quality of your home. Egress window covers keep your window wells and your basement dry.
Keeps Debris and Wild Animals Out
A window well can be an easy spot for debris to accumulate or for an animal to hide. Having an egress window cover will save you the hassle of clearing out the well.
Adds Extra Safety
If you have little ones running around in the backyard, a cover on a window well can prevent them from dropping toys and/or falling in and injuring themselves. A cover can also save you from the tedious (and potentially dangerous) task of shoveling snow out of your window wells each time it snows. A wrong step or a slip on the ice could easily lead to a broken ankle.
Are Custom Covers Necessary?
Egress window well covers experience the full brunt of wear in harsh heat, severe cold, and bad weather. To get the most benefit, you will need to use custom-made window well covers made of more than just cheap plastic. Quality, professionally installed covers will have the correct fit to provide all the above benefits.
Trust the Experts at Jerry’s Waterproofing
At Jerry’s Waterproofing, we install egress windows, egress window wells, and egress window well covers for homeowners in the Omaha area of Nebraska and western Iowa. We proudly use Bilco egress window wells and covers. Rest assured that your egress window installation, including covers, will meet all of your state and local code requirements.
If you have additional questions about egress window covers, or if you are ready to schedule your free estimate, contact us today!