Our master bedroom in our house is located in the basement. The one window it was does not have an egress window and was like this since the 50's. Am i grandfathered in or do I have to replace the old window with a new egress window to be up to code. This will require substantial foundation work to make the opening to the correct size.
Am I required to retrofit an egress window in a 1950s home to meet code
egresswindows
Best Answer
The required egress window size is 5.7 square feet, except for first floor and basement window is 5.0 square feet. The net height shall be a minimum of 24” and net width shall be 20” wide. (See ICC R310.2.1)
The window sill shall be not more than 44” above the finished floor and provided with an appropriate window well if located in the basement. (R310.2.2 and R310.2.3)
Yes, you are “grandfathered in”, (See R310..6), unless you’re remodeling your basement and adding a sleeping room.
However, how do you sleep at night if you put a child or guest in that room? Do you at least have smoke detectors in the bedroom AND in the basement?