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I can see some light coming through around my basement windows. What should I use to seal them up? The previous owner thought a GALLON of caulk would do the trick but unfortunately it didn't. Foam? More Caulk?
Basement Windows
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I'm in the process of finishing the basement now. I'm pulling out the caulk because the boss said it doesn't look good. She's right. I'll try and post a picture later. It looks like they tried to use foam but the foam had degraded over time.
A quick anecdotal story. I bought my house almost 2 years ago. It was about 10 years old at the time. My daughter was down in the basement watching TV and was complaining about all of the LARGE bugs like moths etc flying around the TV at night. Wondering where they were coming from, I looked but couldn't find any obvious entry.
I stumbled upon the issue a few days later. We were shopvac-ing the french drain of bugs/spiders as well as the ceiling joists in the basement. When I got to one of the windows, I saw one of those stink bugs crawling from the top of the one window. Turns out the builder left a 1 1/2" gap at the top of both windows! The siding actually came down far enough to where the issue was obfuscated. So for 10ish years, a nice large gap was above both windows. No wonder there were so many spiders and bugs in the house! How the previous owners didn't see that, I'll never guess.
Anyway, I fixed them with 10 bucks' worth of PT wood and caulk. I placed the PT on the outside, caulked, and done.
Why not add wood framing around the window. PT or otherwise to fill in the gaps either on the inside or out. Preferably keeping the elements from entering the house from the outside is preferable but it depends on the situation. A similar framing on the inside should be done as well to complete the seal and can help dress up the window to boot
I stumbled upon the issue a few days later. We were shopvac-ing the french drain of bugs/spiders as well as the ceiling joists in the basement. When I got to one of the windows, I saw one of those stink bugs crawling from the top of the one window. Turns out the builder left a 1 1/2" gap at the top of both windows! The siding actually came down far enough to where the issue was obfuscated. So for 10ish years, a nice large gap was above both windows. No wonder there were so many spiders and bugs in the house! How the previous owners didn't see that, I'll never guess.
Anyway, I fixed them with 10 bucks' worth of PT wood and caulk. I placed the PT on the outside, caulked, and done.
Why not add wood framing around the window. PT or otherwise to fill in the gaps either on the inside or out. Preferably keeping the elements from entering the house from the outside is preferable but it depends on the situation. A similar framing on the inside should be done as well to complete the seal and can help dress up the window to boot
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I suppose I could do that. Right now the windows are just below my brick and encased in concrete on all sides. I dont know where I would put wood if I decided to go that way.A quick anecdotal story. I bought my house almost 2 years ago. It was about 10 years old at the time. My daughter was down in the basement watching TV and was complaining about all of the LARGE bugs like moths etc flying around the TV at night. Wondering where they were coming from, I looked but couldn't find any obvious entry.
I stumbled upon the issue a few days later. We were shopvac-ing the french drain of bugs/spiders as well as the ceiling joists in the basement. When I got to one of the windows, I saw one of those stink bugs crawling from the top of the one window. Turns out the builder left a 1 1/2" gap at the top of both windows! The siding actually came down far enough to where the issue was obfuscated. So for 10ish years, a nice large gap was above both windows. No wonder there were so many spiders and bugs in the house! How the previous owners didn't see that, I'll never guess.
Anyway, I fixed them with 10 bucks' worth of PT wood and caulk. I placed the PT on the outside, caulked, and done.
Why not add wood framing around the window. PT or otherwise to fill in the gaps either on the inside or out. Preferably keeping the elements from entering the house from the outside is preferable but it depends on the situation. A similar framing on the inside should be done as well to complete the seal and can help dress up the window to boot
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Are any of these windows going to be in the bedroom ?
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Nope. No bedrooms at all. Until we sell of course
What exactly does that mean? You can't call a basement room a bedroom without a proper egress window.
I don't know how many windows like this you have, but it might be worth replacing them for $50/shot.
The window bucks are doing you any good. I would look to get a window which is 1/2" smaller than the opening. Then you fit the window in the opening on 1/4" spacers and put a screw or two in each side jamb. I've also done it without screws.
Then you loosely fill the perimeter with fiberglass and put the foam caulk backer rod on both the interior and exterior. You can caulk over this on the exterior and finish the interior to your taste.
If you don't want to replace the windows, take them out and build a window buck which will leave you with the 1/4" all around space.i
The window bucks are doing you any good. I would look to get a window which is 1/2" smaller than the opening. Then you fit the window in the opening on 1/4" spacers and put a screw or two in each side jamb. I've also done it without screws.
Then you loosely fill the perimeter with fiberglass and put the foam caulk backer rod on both the interior and exterior. You can caulk over this on the exterior and finish the interior to your taste.
If you don't want to replace the windows, take them out and build a window buck which will leave you with the 1/4" all around space.i
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Explain that please.
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I just need to know how to seal windows from the outside. I was asked for pictures and ive provided them. We will install a proper egress window ina couple years when we sell. Can you add any insight?
Why would you install an egress window and then sell?? Unless you have a walkout basement, it will be an expensive project (think $5,000 or more). Unless you also go ahead a finish a bedroom down there, you'll never add that much value to the house.
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We know what your question is. You can't just ask a simple question and not expect to have other questions asked.
This sounds like you're making a bedroom NOW illegally without permits and inspections and when the time comes to sell....you will HAVE to add an egress window because it makes no sense to add one when you sell. Correct me if I'm wrong.
If I'm right and you are making a bedroom with no egress windiw, permits and inspections, you are doing the wrong thing and could endanger someone sleeping there if there was a fire. Does that make any sense to you?
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Nope. It isnt a bedroom now. When we sell we'd like to market it with another legal bedroom. Although in my market you can offer a house with nonconforming basement bedrooms.
The windows were only a year old when we bought the place so Id hate to replace them all together. I am just wondering how they should have been installed and sealed. If you can help thats great if not thats ok too. Ive already spoken with the BD and they are gine with the plan.
The answer to " . . . how they should have been installed and sealed" is that they should not have been installed at all. Those windows are too small for the opening. Read cleveman's earlier post about how it should be done.
"Nonconforming basement bedroom" sounds like a euphemism for "death trap." I can understand that an existing bedroom might be grandfathered, but to construct a new one that doesn't meet current code and have it be legal makes no sense to me at all.
"Nonconforming basement bedroom" sounds like a euphemism for "death trap." I can understand that an existing bedroom might be grandfathered, but to construct a new one that doesn't meet current code and have it be legal makes no sense to me at all.
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Ok so those windowa are too small. Good to know. Looks like Im going shopping for new ones.
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So how do I know what size window it need to be?
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