Small Window Egress Requirements
What Are Window Egress Requirements?
Window egress requirements dictate the space windows must provide for entry or exit in an emergency. For example, think about fire in a bedroom and the need to escape immediately. As important as safety is, reputable manufacturers are challenged to meet the requirements of a small egress window. This is because the frame width in a robust window reduces the opening for egress. No matter the difficulty, we understand that homeowners and builders need high-quality window systems that meet egress requirements.
At a minimum new construction building codes require sleeping areas or spaces used for sleeping to have a 5.7 square foot window opening. This is for escape in case of fire or for a rescuer with all emergency equipment to enter. The opening must be at least 20” wide and 24” high. Sill heights can be no more than 44″ above the floor. In addition, an opening of no less than 5.0 square feet must be met for replacement windows.
Interestingly, combining the 20″ width and 24″ height requirements equals only about three square feet. Not even close to the minimum openings of 5.0 and 5.7 square feet for egress for small windows.
Ringer Windows Casement Window Systems
Egress Casement Window with Washability Hinge
Our egress casement window is a versatile, high-quality fixed picture window. It has a washability hinge that allows a homeowner to clean both glass sides from inside the house. There’s no need to go out and climb a ladder to finish the job. Because the window opens from the inside, it’s easy to reach between the window frame and the frame of the glass panel.
This casement is an outstanding choice to meet window egress requirements for windows with widths of three feet and heights between 42” and 60”. Unfortunately, our Elite single and double hung windows don’t meet the height restrictions of egress for small windows with less than 66” heights. Therefore, Ringer Windows recommends using a six foot hung style or casement window for new construction projects to meet the egress for small window sizes. See our catalog of in-stock windows to find the perfect window for your needs.
Casement window with washability hinge (Thank you Gregg Mack for photo)
Casement Window with Egress Hinge
Our Casement Window Meets Egress Size Requirements
Ringer Windows has a solution for meeting egress for small windows in bedrooms or sleeping areas. We now offer the egress casement window with a specially designed hinge. Our casement window with egress hinge can meet egress width requirements as low as 28.5”. This is great news for new home builds where a narrow width window is desired for sleeping areas! Meeting egress in small window sizes in bedrooms can be accomplished with a 36” x 36” window using our egress casement window!
Window Size Limitations for Older and New Homes
Many unique older homes are unable to meet egress for small windows on their second floors due to challenging rooflines. The foot tall windows using high-quality single hung window systems will not meet casement window egress requirements with such a narrow width. Thus, it’s often recommended to building professionals that they design homes with larger windows to meet egress for sleeping areas. The complaint is frequently based on the distraction of a larger width window when other windows are narrower in width.
Find a Window that Meets Egress Requirements with Ringer Windows
Speak with a Ringer Windows team member about meeting egress for small window sizes for your new construction or replacement window projects. Contact us online or call our offices directly at (512) 989-7000.
