Concrete Cutting:
Shedding Light On Your Basement Remodel
by Affordable Concrete Cutting Boston
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
http://www.affordableconcretecutting.com.
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
http://www.affordableconcretecutting.com