Basement Bedroom Window Requirements Ontario

An egress window can be placed in the bedroom or any other location in the basement.

Basement bedroom window requirements ontario.

What might surprise you the most is that the fire code does not necessarily require a window in the bedroom itself. Except for basement areas the window required in sentence 1 shall have a maximum sill height of 1 000 mm 39 inches above the floor. If the sill is below ground the window itself will need larger dimensions 9 square feet. Egress style windows are required by law as they provide a fast and safe escape from your home given an emergency situation.

3 when sliding window s are used the minimum dimension described in sentence 1 shall apply to the openable portion of the window. This will also depend on what kind of window you are using ie. They need to meet the criteria set forth by the national building code of canada nbcc. The base of the well can be no more than 44 inches above the bedroom floor.

At a minimum the bottom of the window must be no more than 44 inches from the floor and that the actual opening be a minimum of 20 inches wide and 24 inches high. The trickiest part is the window egress. The fire code has another set of requirements to ensure a bedroom in the basement is safe and therefore legal. This may come as a relief to some people trying to plan out their basement apartment or additional basement bedroom but contrary to popular belief a bedroom in a basement in ontario does not require an egress window in the actual bedroom.

As a homeowner in ontario you need to make sure that your bedroom and basement windows meet the required egress window standards. To qualify a basement window as an egress you may also have to install window wells to enlarge windows and allow access. Minimum area of unobstructed opening not less than 3 8 ft 0 35 m with no dimension less than 15 380 mm 3 9 ft. If the property line is less than four feet from the house then any bedroom windows must have a 45 minutes fire rating.

I ve stood in many basement bedrooms with a buyer or seller talking about the fact that there is no closet or that the window may or may not be large enough to call the room a bedroom or to legally call it a bedroom. When sliding windows are used the minimum dimension described in sentence 1 shall apply to the openable portion of the window. 2 except for basement areas the window required in sentence 1 shall have a maximum sill height of 1 000 mm above the floor. Building codes require a basement bedroom has a window for fire escape purposes.