I hope I am sending this to the correct person. I am a licensed home inspector in Northern Illinois. A home owner has a concern regarding windows. He has a quad level type home and at the lowest level(that is finished)he has those small sliding metal windows(can’t recall the exact size maybe 12"x 20-24"). He wants to replace them with non opening or even block windows. This is a family or office area at the lower level. I am under the belief that they do not have to be an egress and that they do not have to be ones that open(are windows like that grandfathered in?).*
Thank you for your time,
Justin Houcek
Home Pro Inspections
Spring Grove,Illinois jmhservices@mchsi.com
rcloyd
(Russell Cloyd, KY LIC #166164, IN LIC#HI02300068)
2
Minimum egress window sizes are for sleeping rooms only. This arrangement will be fine for office/family room space.
P.S. Nick, I have emailed this answer directly to the person who asked the question.
***I would contact the local building department, housing agency, or AHJ for any restrictions that may be applicable from the city the remodel/retrofit is going to take place. ***
Modern building codes now require that finished living areas (not just a sleeping areas) have more than one way of exiting, and windows must be openable.