I regress on egress- Bedroom Windows Emergency Escape and Rescue- Wenatchee and Chelan Home Inspection Service

As home inspectors and those in the Realty business we have had many discussions on bedrooms and what constitutes one.

But I found the bit on emergency escape/rescue (egress) windows still confusing to some so I thought I would spell it out.

                                              (Maximum sill height above floor is 44 in)

An emergency escape or rescue (egress) window must satisfy all four International Residential Code (IRC) requirements:

·  Minimum width of opening: 20 in.

·  Minimum height of opening: 24 in.

·  Minimum net clear opening: 5.7 sq. ft. (5.0 sq. ft. for ground floor).

·  Maximum sill height above floor: 44 in.

Many take this to mean that a 20 x 24 window will do, right?  WRONG!!!!!

A 20” x 24” window is only 3.33 sq ft. So this does not meet the requirement of a minimum 5.7 sq ft required by the code or even the 5.0 sq ft for a ground level room.

To meet the requirements a 20” wide window will need to be 42” high to meet the requirement (36” high at ground level) and for a 24” high window it would have to be 35” wide (30” at ground level).

So if you had a 30” wide window you would need it to be 27’ high and so on. A square window will need to be technically 28.6” by 28.6” (or 26.8” x 26.8” at ground level).

“Do not worry about your difficulties in mathematics, I assure you that mine are greater.”

Albert Einstein

NCW Home Inspections, LLC  is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Orville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…      

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