Don't Work in a Dungeon - Install Egress Windows

If you’re one of the many people whose job has shifted to telecommuting, you may be struggling to create a workspace in your home. This goes double if you’re also helping your kids adjust to virtual learning, if your partner is also working from home, and so on. Do those walls feel like they’re closing in yet?

We’ve seen people whose new office is the dining room table, or a corner of the bedroom. Some are even working in their unfinished attics and basements just to get privacy and space.

What if I told you that there are likely hundreds of square feet of space available in your home? Enough space for everyone working or learning to have their own space to be productive and stay sane without sacrificing your existing setup? What if I told you that it was your basement?

If you just cringed, you likely have a dungeon basement - you know what I mean, the dark, musty, spidery space where you stash holiday decorations, maybe do laundry, and otherwise try very hard to ignore - and it might seem impossible. But it doesn’t have to be.

Now, there are a lot of factors to consider here, things like water issues and finishing needs, and we’ll talk about those throughout the month of September. But today I want to talk about one of the biggest things that stops people from seeing their basement as usable living space.

It’s so dark.

Most basements have those little windows toward the ceiling, sometimes half covered by landscaping or even just weeds, and all they really do is provide a reminder of exactly how little light is making it down there. Many also have that lovely “bare light bulb with a pull chain” aesthetic, so it isn’t surprising you might not want to hang out down there for eight hours a day.

By replacing those tiny windows with egress windows, you can majorly brighten up your basement. An egress window is big - often around 4 foot by 4 foot - and brings the daylight down to normal window height in the basement. Suddenly that dark, dank basement is flooded with light, and you can see the possibility.

Installing one or more egress windows not only brightens up the basement, it also makes it safe (and in some cases, is necessary for it to be legal living space). Any space you’re using regularly should have at least two exits in the event of a fire or other disaster, so adding these windows provides an escape route. If you ever want to add a bedroom down there, an egress is actually required for it to legally be considered a bedroom.

Once the basement is safe and bright enough to be considered feasible space, it’s easy to make plans for work spaces and beyond. Call us today to ask about installing egress windows and reclaim your dining room table for family dinner.