Window Egress Problems

Common Problems

• Windows admit light and fresh air, but they also offer a lifeline to people trapped inside a room. Sashes painted shut, locks that are stuck or complicated, or sills set too high for an elderly or handicapped occupant could all spell tragedy. The smoke and confusion of a fire, for example, might not allow the time needed to jiggle the window or find a knife to break the seal. Old windows with missing counterweights might be too heavy for a child or older person to lift. Some older vinyl frames may melt and fuse. Fixing, repairing or replacing windows so there is one window in each room designated and maintained as a reliable route of escape guarantees safe egress for first-floor occupants and provides a path for others.

Upper Floors

• Second-floor windows need more than a once-over to provide emergency egress; occupants need a way to the ground. When seconds can make the difference between life and death, rope ladders or exterior fire escapes provide a way to the ground before the aerial rescue truck arrives. Rope ladders or plain ropes require a solid anchor on the window frame. Fire and life safety sections of local building codes may contain suggestions for upgrades to older buildings.

Basements

• Basements often suffer from limited access. Remove any window obstructions and, if the basement has an exterior door, make it in good working condition. Small basement windows are good candidates for replacement with egress windows. When installed according to local codes, these large windows allow an adult to climb out into a window well for rescue. Proper basement installation is key in these large windows because their frames pierce the foundation under the soil line, where they are subject to drainage, constant moisture and insects.

Egress Windows

• An egress window unit includes a large window with its frame that is set into a wall. In an emergency, the entire unit opens in casement fashion. The window is mounted low enough that it can be stepped into -- or crawled up into in the case of a basement window. Deep basement window wells, dug to the foundation footings, contain several inches of gravel for drainage and a ladder to climb out of the well. Leaky egress windows above ground should be checked for proper installation and caulking. Basement leaks might require addition of a French drain or deeper excavation and gravel fill.