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Finished Basement Ideas
:: Concrete Cutting Article
Concrete Cutting: Shedding Light On Your Basement Remodel by
Robert Short
Basements or cellars (depending on which part of the country you are
from) are primarily seen as dark and dingy parts of a home. In most cases
they are considered a useless area or are used as a “catch all” for
family discards that haven’t quite made it to the curbside for trash pick
up yet. Well, with the skyrocketing prices of real estate these days and the
lack of any substantial property to use for an addition to our homes, the
basement, after years of being ignored and neglected, is finally being
recognized as a useful, cost effective resource for adding more living space
to our beloved homes.
Several factors that have to be considered before any serious basement
renovations take place include ceiling height, stair pitch or steepness and
emergency egress. All three of these requirements can differ considerably
depending on where you live. You can call your local building department and
they can tell you these requirements. As for what emergency egress is, it is
basically an emergency escape. A door of at least 30” wide in most areas
is considered a very safe egress but a window has to be a certain size and a
minimum distance from the floor in order to be considered safe. Believe it
or not, the way the safe size and height of a basement window is calculated
is by determining how easily an overweight elderly person (considered worst
case scenario) can open and climb out of in case of a fire or another
emergency. In reality, these building codes were put in place because no one
is going to get out of one of those old metal framed 18” X 30” pull in
basement windows very easily (especially an overweight elderly person) and
they would probably die trying in the unfortunate event of a fire.
Most local building codes require both a door and a window egress in order
for the basement to be considered safe enough for a living area. In many
cases building codes require an emergency egress be placed in every bedroom
in a basement as well. If you are in the habit of doing home remodeling or
repairs without the proper building permits, it is very important for you
and your family’s safety that you find out what the code is in your area
and adhere to it.
By adding all of the necessary emergency egress you are essentially killing
two birds with one stone. As I already stated, you are adding safety to an
otherwise unsafe area but you are also adding the benefits of natural
sunlight. Adding natural sunlight to your basement really gives the area a
desirable look and a warm feeling you generally can’t get without it. Now,
you may be wondering how people get a perfectly smooth, plumb and square
openings in their foundations. You may have never heard of such a thing or
don’t realize the process even exists. Fortunately, there are companies in
almost every part of the country that actually specialize in the process of
cutting doorways and windows in concrete walls. These companies are called
concrete cutting services and / or sawcutting outfits. Either way, they are
listed in your local or online yellow pages under the heading of “concrete
breaking, cutting, sawing, core drilling etc.”. A professional concrete
cutter will make the process look exceptionally easy and help make short
work of your basement-remodeling project.
If you are going to take the time to renovate your basement you might as
well do it right. By following or exceeding your local building codes you
will ensure your family’s safety. Also, be sure that you cut as many
window openings in your basement walls as your budget and the structural
integrity of your home can handle. This in itself will make your basement
the most cherished area of your home. You’ll be glad you did it. Good
luck.
To find some ideas and to familiarize yourself with the concrete cutting
industry just do a search online for “concrete cutting” and check out
some of the sites and, of course, be sure to check out our website at www.affordableconcretecutting.com.
© Copyright 2005 Affordable Concrete Cutting, Inc. All Rights Reserved
About the Author:
Affordable Concrete Cutting Massachusetts services the contractor and
homeowner in and around Boston and Eastern Massachusetts. We specialize in
cutting doorways in concrete foundations. Visit our website at www.affordableconcretecutting.com
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