Basement Egress Windows

If you are finishing your basement, adding a basement bedroom, or simply want to bring an older home up to modern safety standards, you need an egress window. The word "egress" simply means "a way out." In the event of a fire or emergency, a basement bedroom must have a window large enough for a person to escape through, and large enough for a fully equipped firefighter to enter.

Sask Windows & Doors specializes in the complete installation of basement egress windows. We handle the strict Saskatchewan building code requirements, the concrete cutting, the window well installation, and the final airtight window fitting.

The National Building Code of Canada (which Saskatchewan follows) has very specific rules for basement egress windows. To be legal, the window must provide an unobstructed opening of at least 0.35 square meters (3.77 square feet), with no dimension (width or height) being less than 380mm (15 inches). Furthermore, the window must be easily opened from the inside without the use of keys, tools, or special knowledge.

If your current basement windows are the old, small slider style, they almost certainly do not meet egress code. If you list your home for sale with a basement bedroom that lacks an egress window, it cannot legally be called a bedroom, which significantly lowers your home's resale value.

The Complete Installation Process

Installing an egress window where a small window used to be is a major structural project. Our team coordinates the entire process. We arrange for professional concrete cutting to enlarge the foundation hole. We install the proper corrugated steel window well outside to hold back the earth. We ensure proper drainage at the bottom of the well so water doesn't pool against the glass. Finally, we install a high-performance, triple-pane window that seals tight against the winter cold.

Not all window styles work well for egress. A sliding window must be very wide to meet the code, because only half of the window opens. The most popular choice for egress is a casement window that swings entirely open like a door, providing the maximum possible escape area for the size of the hole cut in the concrete.