As part of your plans to turn your basement into a bedroom, you must install an egress window which meets Alberta building codes and City of Calgary rules. In order to be energy efficient and meet safety regulations in Calgary weather conditions.
Quality vinyl windows and doors can bring considerable added value to your home. Not only are they visually pleasing to prospective buyers, but they’re also an excellent investment.
Energy Efficiency
For maximum energy efficiency in a bedroom setting, selecting windows that boast excellent energy-saving qualities are of utmost importance. Windows should keep rooms warm in winter and cool in summer while keeping heat in. A high U-factor and SHGC rating are both essential to this effect.
Bedroom windows should be designed to block harmful UV rays that cause curtains, carpets, furniture and flooring to fade over time. This can save money in costly replacement costs as well as decrease energy use for heating or cooling the home.
Casement windows offer one of the most efficient window styles for every taste and style, featuring strong seals on each frame side to keep air leakage to a minimum. Furthermore, their operating mechanisms tend to be reliable, making opening or closing them with one motion easy and seamless.
Windows are typically made of glass, and its quality has an enormous influence on their performance. To decrease heat transference through windows and increase natural lighting, an energy-efficient coating such as Low-E glass may help. A microscopically thin layer of transparent metal oxides applied to it works together with argon gas to significantly decrease heat transfer while still permitting natural sunlight through.
House windows should be designed to maintain warmth throughout winter with proper insulation and installation, while also allowing cool breezes into the house during summer while keeping hot air and toxins outside. ENERGY STAR certified windows offer significantly reduced heating and cooling costs thanks to their higher energy rating.
When renovating a basement into a bedroom, it is imperative that all new windows comply with Alberta Building Code standards. This includes ensuring there is at least one emergency egress window sized 0.35 square metres or larger that can be easily opened from within without keys or special knowledge being needed to open it from within.
Natural Ventilation
Mechanical ventilation relies on fans to force air through your home; natural ventilation instead utilizes wind-driven movement to circulate fresh, cool air around your living space. The concept behind natural ventilation is that wind naturally seeks areas with higher pressure while pushing it out from areas of lower pressure – creating a current that draws in fresh air into rooms through bedroom windows.
As air passes through your windows, it removes heat and moisture from your home reducing humidity and improving occupant comfort. Furthermore, natural ventilation reduces energy costs by lowering heating and cooling system operation requirements, ultimately decreasing utility bills.
Ventilation through windows works effectively in warm climates; however, its effectiveness declines considerably in winter due to colder air having less mass than its counterpart. To promote natural ventilation during the winter season, open windows on the windward side of your house so the breeze can enter and escape while shutting those on the leeward side to protect against rain entering.
If your home’s design allows, incorporating some form of shelter such as hoods or patio roofs over window wells can increase ventilation by blocking wind from blowing directly against them. Furthermore, landscaping plays an important role in natural ventilation by strategically positioning hedges or fences to block it out.
Basement bedrooms in Calgary must use windows that are appropriately sized for their space, while also meeting all safety requirements set forth by the Alberta Building Code. This includes placing them 3 or 4 feet off ground level so as not to allow soil and debris accumulation under it – which could damage foundations. It’s also essential that any egress window be secured with an effective screen covering.
Improved Appearance
As with any feature in a home, windows play an integral role in how each room feels. Decoration and furnishings have an enormous effect on how people perceive a place; selecting appropriate window decoration ideas can help foster an optimistic environment in any household.
Bedroom windows can be an integral component of any room’s decor and it is essential that they complement its overall theme. Large black-framed windows add an eye-catching modern edge that makes a space feel larger while adding visual interest; however, they should never be used alongside highly dominant pieces as this will simply overpower them and take over their surroundings.
Homeowners looking for more traditional style windows should install casement or awning windows. These easy-to-operate systems make any room appear cleaner while giving it more of an airy feeling. Plus, there is an array of colours and styles available so they’re sure to find their perfect match in their own homes!
Bay/bow windows can add the perfect finishing touch to any room and bring natural sunlight from all directions simultaneously, creating the illusion of larger space while making reading or relaxing much more relaxing and comfortable.
Sheila’s Window Toppers & More Ltd can help your bedroom achieve energy efficiency, privacy, and light control through shades and treatments that meet any need in terms of energy efficiency, privacy, or light. For instance, their Duolite feature combines both a front light-filtering sheer and back room darkening shade into one convenient headrail that rolls back for convenient storage.
If you own a basement suite in Calgary, City regulations dictate that an egress window must be installed according to City guidelines. Egress windows must provide at least 0.35m2 of clear opening area and be operable from within without keys, tools or specialist knowledge with just one single action from within the residence – otherwise they’re considered illegal according to Calgary city.
Safety
As winter nears, it’s essential that you pay close attention to the safety of your basement bedroom windows. According to National Building Codes of Canada and Alberta, basement bedrooms must contain hardwired smoke/carbon monoxide detectors connected to main-floor detectors as well as an egress window designed to allow escape in case of fire or other emergency – the window well must meet certain dimensions in order to comply with these requirements.
Simonelli conducted a recent study and determined that children under the age of four are most at risk from falling out of second-story windows, even with window guards in place. According to this research, up to 28 percent of the children admitted to hospital emergency departments for window related injuries had severe injuries like traumatic brain injuries; skull, cervical spine or facial fractures; internal injuries including splenic or liver lacerations requiring hospital admission and care requiring admission back into hospitals emergency departments due to window related incidents had severe injuries such as traumatic brain injuries or internal injuries like lacerations or lacerations on hospital emergency department admission resulting in hospital emergency departments visits requiring hospital admission for treatment with severe injuries like traumatic brain injuries or skull, cervical spine fractures; or internal injuries like lacerationss to hospital emergency departments including severe internal injuries such as lacerations on organ lacerations injuries on admission, like lacerations on organ lacerations which caused internal injuries such as splenic lacerations on occasion resulting in severe injuries sustained from falling from second story windows that include both risks involved as well.
One way you can bolster the safety of your bedroom windows is by applying low-E coatings to new or replacement windows. These coatings block harmful UV rays from the sun, helping your body reach optimum sleeping temperatures while simultaneously keeping your home cooler during summer and warmer during winter, thus cutting energy costs.
Consider that, depending on the situation, converting existing basement and bedroom windows into doors may increase privacy in your home and/or increase accessibility for disabled family members. Converting windows into doors is simple and cost-effective.
Some homeowners love the look of bay windows in their home, as they provide more natural light and create an open feeling. Unfortunately, however, installing this style of window may be more costly than other options; nonetheless it offers numerous advantages over its counterparts such as superior insulation and visual appeal. Furthermore, bay windows can protect furniture from long term sun damage while keeping its color fading at bay; plus they help lower heating bills during Calgary’s cold winter months by reflecting heat back inside your home from your furnace furnaces.
