Thanks for posting. I've been trying to figure out what doing this to my most recent property would look like. My windows are 86" off the concrete floor, so it sounds like we wouldn't necessarily need an engineer for additional reinforcement. My plan is to cut an entrance and an egress on opposite sides of one another to ensure a bedroom can be put in as well.
Yes, with windows that high off the concrete floor, you will not need to cut the concrete header above the window. I am not sure if you need both an entrance and egress. It would depend on what your local municipality would require of you, but generally, they only require one point of egress/entry for a basement apartment, and an emergency egress/exit window for each bedroom. I hope this helps!
won't the bottom plate of the bearing wall above cover the side load? Or you can use a C-channel steel rather than flat plate. Im not an engineer but that makes sense to me.
Is there a minimum distance from a foundation corner where cutting an opening wouldn't be possible or safe? I have a small hallway that leads into a corner of the basement that would be great for an entrance but it's narrow so the door would only be a couple inches from an adjacent foundation wall.
Great! If you are interested, we could help you design and build an entry for your home. You can request a consultation here, and we will have someone from our team reach out to you. dansiedesignbuild.com/request-a-project-consultation/
I have an old home built in the 1920s. The basement has low ceiling. Appx 70" from concrete floor to bottom of first floor joists. The basement door is small. Appx 28"W x 67"H. There is no concrete header other than a true 4x8 running the perimeter of the top of the foundation. There is a little room to make the door wider, to a 30" - 32"W door, due to the concrete walls on the exterior steps. My question is how would you proceed to replacing origional wood door with a steel door?
Hi Dune Buggy, Thanks for tuning in to our video. There are a few things we look for when modifying a structure like this. Widing the opening is going to affect the structrure, and it is important to make sure what you do will either: a) be reinforced, or b) be ok with out any updates or additions to it. I consult a professional structural engineer when doing any project like this. Then, I know it will not fail once we finish our work. It may cost $500-1000 for an engineers professional opionion, but that is money well spent. My guess is that if you are just widening the door a few inches, there mostlikely would be rebar in the foundation - on the sides of the door that is going to be cut and affected. This may need to be reinforced, but I would leave that detail up to the engineer. Once the engineer is finished making his recomendations, you can plan how to put those pieces in place inorder to accomidate the new door size/opening. I hope this helps you with your project! -Caleb
Thanks man! Good stuff!
Glad to help!
Are you guys do projects all over the USA? I am located in Maryland.
No, we are a local company in Utah. We design projects nation wide, and stick to our local area for construction.
Thanks for posting. I've been trying to figure out what doing this to my most recent property would look like. My windows are 86" off the concrete floor, so it sounds like we wouldn't necessarily need an engineer for additional reinforcement. My plan is to cut an entrance and an egress on opposite sides of one another to ensure a bedroom can be put in as well.
Yes, with windows that high off the concrete floor, you will not need to cut the concrete header above the window.
I am not sure if you need both an entrance and egress. It would depend on what your local municipality would require of you, but generally, they only require one point of egress/entry for a basement apartment, and an emergency egress/exit window for each bedroom. I hope this helps!
I understand you're concerned about the forces coming down with what about the side loading?
Hello there,
I am not sure I completely understand what you mean by your question.
won't the bottom plate of the bearing wall above cover the side load? Or you can use a C-channel steel rather than flat plate. Im not an engineer but that makes sense to me.
Is there a minimum distance from a foundation corner where cutting an opening wouldn't be possible or safe? I have a small hallway that leads into a corner of the basement that would be great for an entrance but it's narrow so the door would only be a couple inches from an adjacent foundation wall.
Typically 4’ is a minimum distance from a corner or sheer wall. It may still be possible. Where are you located?
@@DansieDesignBuild West Valley City, Utah
Great! If you are interested, we could help you design and build an entry for your home. You can request a consultation here, and we will have someone from our team reach out to you.
dansiedesignbuild.com/request-a-project-consultation/
I have an old home built in the 1920s. The basement has low ceiling. Appx 70" from concrete floor to bottom of first floor joists. The basement door is small. Appx 28"W x 67"H. There is no concrete header other than a true 4x8 running the perimeter of the top of the foundation. There is a little room to make the door wider, to a 30" - 32"W door, due to the concrete walls on the exterior steps. My question is how would you proceed to replacing origional wood door with a steel door?
Hi Dune Buggy,
Thanks for tuning in to our video.
There are a few things we look for when modifying a structure like this. Widing the opening is going to affect the structrure, and it is important to make sure what you do will either: a) be reinforced, or b) be ok with out any updates or additions to it. I consult a professional structural engineer when doing any project like this. Then, I know it will not fail once we finish our work. It may cost $500-1000 for an engineers professional opionion, but that is money well spent. My guess is that if you are just widening the door a few inches, there mostlikely would be rebar in the foundation - on the sides of the door that is going to be cut and affected. This may need to be reinforced, but I would leave that detail up to the engineer. Once the engineer is finished making his recomendations, you can plan how to put those pieces in place inorder to accomidate the new door size/opening.
I hope this helps you with your project!
-Caleb