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Home > Archive > Home Repair forum > May 2006 > Clever Window Well Idea: Is this allowed?
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Clever Window Well Idea: Is this allowed?
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| We are finishing our basement and have a problem with one of our window
wells. If we cut it out to spec, then it protrudes directly into our
driveway (which is already narrow). We have thought of a couple
solutions and would like to hear advice or opinions.
Solution #1: We thought about finding a window well cover that was
strong enough to be able to drive a car over. After looking online, we
realize that those are not readily available. And not wanting to have
to tear up our driveway we thought of:
Solution #2: This is the one we are not sure is allowed. Most code
reads that the well has to protrude out 36" from the window. Are you
allowed to set the window back into the room in order to decrease the
distance from which the window well extends from the side of the house?
We are talking about building the window about a foot in from the wall
of the basement bedroom. This would leave a good 2 feet protruding
outside the house, and we wouldn't have to tear out our driveway.
Any advice?
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"Nate" <nate_public@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1148878871.981532.321140@j73g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> We are finishing our basement and have a problem with one of our window
> wells. If we cut it out to spec, then it protrudes directly into our
> driveway (which is already narrow). We have thought of a couple
> solutions and would like to hear advice or opinions.
>
> Solution #1: We thought about finding a window well cover that was
> strong enough to be able to drive a car over. After looking online, we
> realize that those are not readily available. And not wanting to have
> to tear up our driveway we thought of:
>
> Solution #2: This is the one we are not sure is allowed. Most code
> reads that the well has to protrude out 36" from the window. Are you
> allowed to set the window back into the room in order to decrease the
> distance from which the window well extends from the side of the house?
> We are talking about building the window about a foot in from the wall
> of the basement bedroom. This would leave a good 2 feet protruding
> outside the house, and we wouldn't have to tear out our driveway.
>
> Any advice?
>
Isn't the object of the code requirement to allow sufficient room for a
person to exit the basement bedroom through the window in the event of a
fire? Seems that what you are proposing would never fly as I can't see how
a person is going to climb through the 2 foot opening between your house
wall and the driveway. Even a window well cover you could drive over would
not work unless it was easily kicked out of place from below in the event of
an emergency.
Tom G.
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| spartacus 2006-05-29, 7:21 am |
| "Tom G" <tomasg2@nospamverizon.net> wrote in
news:pOweg.5303$%C6.4115@trnddc08:
>
> "Nate" <nate_public@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:1148878871.981532.321140@j73g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Isn't the object of the code requirement to allow sufficient room for
> a person to exit the basement bedroom through the window in the event
> of a fire? Seems that what you are proposing would never fly as I
> can't see how a person is going to climb through the 2 foot opening
> between your house wall and the driveway. Even a window well cover
> you could drive over would not work unless it was easily kicked out of
> place from below in the event of an emergency.
>
> Tom G.
>
>
>
Cut a notch in the driveway around the window. Seems the easiest.
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| @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ 2006-05-29, 8:21 am |
| On 28 May 2006 22:01:12 -0700, "Nate" <nate_public@yahoo.com> wrote:
>We are finishing our basement and have a problem with one of our window
>wells. If we cut it out to spec, then it protrudes directly into our
>driveway (which is already narrow). We have thought of a couple
>solutions and would like to hear advice or opinions.
>
>Solution #1: We thought about finding a window well cover that was
>strong enough to be able to drive a car over. After looking online, we
>realize that those are not readily available. And not wanting to have
>to tear up our driveway we thought of:
>
>Solution #2: This is the one we are not sure is allowed. Most code
>reads that the well has to protrude out 36" from the window. Are you
>allowed to set the window back into the room in order to decrease the
>distance from which the window well extends from the side of the house?
> We are talking about building the window about a foot in from the wall
>of the basement bedroom. This would leave a good 2 feet protruding
>outside the house, and we wouldn't have to tear out our driveway.
>
>Any advice?
Remove the window !
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| Goedjn 2006-05-30, 4:21 pm |
| On 28 May 2006 22:01:12 -0700, "Nate" <nate_public@yahoo.com> wrote:
>We are finishing our basement and have a problem with one of our window
>wells. If we cut it out to spec, then it protrudes directly into our
>driveway (which is already narrow). We have thought of a couple
>solutions and would like to hear advice or opinions.
>
>Solution #1: We thought about finding a window well cover that was
>strong enough to be able to drive a car over. After looking online, we
>realize that those are not readily available. And not wanting to have
>to tear up our driveway we thought of:
>
>Solution #2: This is the one we are not sure is allowed. Most code
>reads that the well has to protrude out 36" from the window. Are you
>allowed to set the window back into the room in order to decrease the
>distance from which the window well extends from the side of the house?
> We are talking about building the window about a foot in from the wall
>of the basement bedroom. This would leave a good 2 feet protruding
>outside the house, and we wouldn't have to tear out our driveway.
>
>Any advice?
Is this window serving as a means of egress? If so, you're hosed.
If not, then dig the hole, and drop in a concrete well low
enough to put steel grating over it. In fact, trench across
the whole driveway, 3' wide, put a steel grill over it with
pop-out panels, and use the resulting pit as an easy place to do
oil changes and repairs on the car.
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| Goedjn 2006-05-30, 4:21 pm |
| On Mon, 29 May 2006 06:47:49 GMT, "Tom G" <tomasg2@nospamverizon.net>
wrote:
>
>"Nate" <nate_public@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>news:1148878871.981532.321140@j73g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>Isn't the object of the code requirement to allow sufficient room for a
>person to exit the basement bedroom through the window in the event of a
>fire? Seems that what you are proposing would never fly as I can't see how
>a person is going to climb through the 2 foot opening between your house
>wall and the driveway. Even a window well cover you could drive over would
>not work unless it was easily kicked out of place from below in the event of
>an emergency.
>
Not even then. There might be a car on top of it.
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