The Difference Between a Daylight Basement & a Standard Basement

Basement Remodeling

• In addition to providing out-of-the-way space for the house's mechanicals, basements -- whether daylight or standard -- afford homeowners additional room to expand their living spaces. Basement remodeling is almost an American tradition. Basements have been transformed into game rooms, family rooms, home theaters, extra bedrooms, workout areas and home spas. Daylight basements offer fewer challenges for conversion than standard versions.

Egress or Escape Path

• The International Code Council, on which most states' building codes are based, stipulates that basements with habitable space must have an egress with a minimum opening of 20 inches wide and 24 inches high, with a minimum net clear opening of 5.7 square feet and a maximum sill height above the floor of 44 inches. In a standard basement, with its windows high off the floor, you must be sure that windows provide escape from every area. These regulations hold true for the subterranean areas of a daylight basement.

Ceiling Height

• Traditional standard basement wall construction consists of 12 courses of concrete block, which gives you a ceiling height of approximately 8 feet. While this is the minimum standard ceiling height for finished living areas, it's only the raw measurement. You have to deduct about a foot of space for ducts and the beams. Daylight basements, before being finished, have a height of 9 feet, so you still have a standard room height after finishing.

Access and Versatility

• Standard basements usually are accessed through a garage, from inside the house, or both in a very large house. Walkout or daylight basements have approaches from the outside and inside. This access gives you more versatility for what you want to do with the space. You can convert a daylight basement into an apartment for your teenager or a boomerang offspring that gives both of you privacy. If you have a swimming pool, a daylight basement can be turned into a combination cabana and party space.