Attic Egress Window Requirements

Since the staircase to the attic can act as a chimney for the fire to quickly spread it s necessary to have a secondary point of egress or exit.

Attic egress window requirements.

The minimum egress window opening height is 24 high. The windowsill cannot be more than 44 inches off the floor. Stipulations placed on the exit discharge include a minimum width 44 inches or the width of the exit clear ceiling heights 8 feet and a prescribed slope of 1 12 or less. Window wells greater than 44 inches in depth requires a permanently fixed ladder or steps to provide access.

It states that all egress windows must have a minimum width of 20 inches a minimum height of 24 inches minimum clearing of 5 7 square feet when opened and maximum sill height of 44 inches from the floor. In general the means of egress shall not narrow in the direction of travel. A fixed stair or ramp is required on an attic that meets the habitable attic criteria unless a door directly to the exterior is installed in the space. Have a minimum opening height of at least 24 inches.

Having said that there are some broad standards dictated by the international residential code irc. Make sure the basement window well has enough area to move around in and if the well is especially deep make sure you have a ladder attached to it for an easy. Ibc 1029 1 requires sleeping rooms below the 4th story to have emergency escape and rescue openings. The clear opening must add up to 5 7 square feet.

Since you re below ground you have to make sure that the window can still fully open without obstruction. Have a minimum net opening area of at least 5 7 square feet. This would imply that some egress windows are expected to be more than 15 or 20 ft. Have a minimum opening width of at least 20 inches.

The minimum opening area of the egress window is 5 7 square feet. The window must open a minimum width of 20 inches. The minimum egress window opening is 20 wide. Habitable attics require a vertical access and emergency escape and rescue opening.

The window must open a minimum height of 24 inches. Window wells serving an egress window shall not be less than 9 square feet in area with a horizontal length width of no less than 36 inches. Attic egress openings must. Have an egress point.

Permanent ladder or steps cannot encroach the required window well dimensions by more than 6 inches. Vertical access can be a fixed internal stair ramp or exterior stair. Basement egress windows have special requirements. The egress window must have a glass area of not less than 8 of the total floor area of room s for which it is servicing to allow the minimum amount of sufficient natural light.