You wouldn’t be alone if you assumed the only way to enter or exit a basement was by stairs inside of the house. Egress window wells in basements have now become popular as well as mandatory for homeowners who are remodeling or building their own home. If you’re remodeling your basement, egress window wells can transform a dark place into a livable space as well as well as serve as an escape route, should that ever be necessary.

There are egress window well codes you should be aware of. Egress window wells must be up to par with the IRC (or International Residential Code) requirements of house safety. Under IRC code, larger or basements that are “livable” spaces must have an emergency escape, door, or window. An egress window is a perfect solution for this and provides a means of safe escape for house occupants in case of emergency.

By code requirement, the total area of an Egress window should be 9 feet, and must project horizontally 36”. To protect your window (but still allow in light), a window well cover can be placed over the outside. These window well covers are essential for protecting your egress window and keeping out dirt, rain, leaves, wildlife, and sometimes adults or children who may fall through. To protect your window from the elements and protect yourself and family from falls from above, adhere to egress safety standards and use a window cover.

There are other benefits that go along with egress window wells besides family safety. These windows allow you to transform a gloomy basement into a cheerful sunlight place, adding light and fresh air. They can also make your basement appear larger. Depending on basement temperatures, you can spend time finishing your basement and turn it into a recreational space or other living area.

Now that you’ve installed egress window wells, invest in window covers to prevent your basement from future water damage or accumulation of debris. Remember to inspect your window covers after heavy rainfall or snowstorms to keep your basement dry. When you invest in egress window well covers and have them properly fitted to your window, you won’t have to worry about leaks. Covering your egress window will prevent falls into the basement, but allow for the occupant to escape if there was a possibly emergency.

Bio: Erica R. is a freelance writer for windowbubble.com, a company that custom fits basement window well covers for metal, wood, and masonry window wells. Window well covers protect from the elements and are strong enough to protect from falls from above. Windowbubble.com has a lifetime guarantee for their window well covers, and they adhere to all egress safety standards. For more information on egress window wells, visit our website.