What Is Egress Finish?

Egress Requirements

• You need two exits in each room, but only one must be a direct exit to the outside. A door to the rest of the house can serve as the second egress. Doors need to measure at least 6 feet 8 inches high and 3 feet across. Windows are more frequently used with finishing spaces to create additional living or sleeping rooms. The window must be at least 5.7 square feet in area and no higher than 44 inches from the ground. Either a minimum of 20 inches wide by 36 inches tall or 24 inches tall by 30 inches wide will suffice for the egress window dimensions.

Room Finishing

• In a basement or attic, the means of egress is usually a window to the outside. Because you cannot leave the wall framing open around the window in the area, you need to consider the finish. The floor leading to the egress door and window in the space must be completely finished and stable so that an adult can walk on it. The threshold of the door cannot be higher than 1 1/2 inches above the finished floor.

Decorative Finishing

• When adding the finishing touches to the area around the egress, you cannot impede someone from using the window to escape. Window dressings or bars must be easily removed by all family members without keys or tools, and they cannot prevent the window from fully opening.

Finishing Below-Ground Egresses

• The egress door or window in your basement will likely exit below ground level. In this instance, you will need to construct a window well before your egress and basement are considered finished. The window well is a dug-out area in front of the egress window from your basement. "The 2012 International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings" from the International Code Council dictates in section R310.2 that the window well measure at least 9 square feet. If the well measures more than 44 inches below the ground, you must add a permanent ladder or stairs that take up no more than 6 horizontal inches of the horizontal space inside the well. You have to be able to get to the stairs even if the egress window is open.