Since basements are partially or completely underground, they often have inadequate windows. Adding more or larger windows to a basement can make it feel less claustrophobic and provide a welcome source of natural light. Installing an egress window will also allow the opening to serve as an exit in the case of an emergency.

If the basement is underground, remove the soil and cut an opening in the wall to accommodate the window. To provide an attractive view and allow the window to serve as a means of escape, a retaining wall made of timbers can be laid in a stairstep design.

Scrub brushes screwed to your steps are perfect for cleaning shoes and boots to keep from tracking dirt in the house.

Scrub brushes with a plastic body won’t rot and last longer than wooden brushes.

Start by drilling two 3/16” holes in each scrub brush.

Attach the scrub brushes to the bottom step with 1 5/8” coated decking screws.

Hose out the scraper periodically to remove dirt, and unscrew it when refinishing the steps.

I live in Greenwood, Arkansas. When the temp gets around 35 or below, the windows sweat really bad. It freezes around the frame and I have to scrape it off. Our home is 11 years old but the windows have done this since it was new. My husband says it is the gas fireplace that we use that does it. Would a dehumidifier help? I read that too much humidity would cause it. I even noticed it was sweating on the metal strip at the bottom of the front door last night. I have to go around every day and dry the windows. Can you help? Thanks, Carol

Carol,

We get a lot of questions about windows sweating in the winter. Here’s what’s happening and why.

When air warms it expands, which allows it to hold more moisture. As it cools down, it contracts until it reaches the saturation point and releases this excess water in the form of condensation.

Common daily activities in your home—such as cooking, showering, using unvented gas heat, and even breathing—add moisture to the air. When this warm humid air comes in contact with a cold window or metal threshold, it cools and condenses.

To reduce this problem you need to either lower the amount of moisture in the air inside your home, or prevent it from coming in contact with cold surfaces. Here are some suggestions that might help:

• Run a vent fan in the bathroom when you shower or bath, and leave it on for 15 minutes afterward. Be sure it is vented to the outside and has a high enough capacity for the room. Also, be sure there is a large enough gap under the bathroom door to allow air to enter.

• Vent gas fireplaces, or limit their use, and don’t use older unvented gas space heaters.

• Cut down on cooking that produces excess steam.

• Lower your thermostat to 66-68 degrees.

• Be sure your clothes dryer is vented properly to the outside.

• Seal up any cracks around windows and doors.

• Replace older single pane windows with double or triple pane vinyl ones (avoid metal window frames since they conduct cold), or add storm windows to the outside of your house.

• If you are still having problems, consider installing a dehumidifier.

Before

After

While this covered courtyard featured a beautiful brick fountain, it was hard to keep clean and received little use during the hot summer months along the Gulf Coast. To remedy these problems, the homeowners decided to enclose it by adding a fireplace flanked by glass doors.

Framing

Since the outside entranceway was level with the room, a rubber membrane was placed under the treated 2” x 4” sill to prevent water from seeping inside.

The exterior wall was framed using laminated beams to support the weight over the door openings. After the wall had been sheathed in plywood, the arched door units were held in place and the outline of the opening traced around them. A jigsaw was then used to cut out the opening.

Doors

The doors from JELD-WEN Windows & Doors included a special energy efficient Low-E coating on the glass that reduces the transmission of heat and harmful UV rays. This not only saves energy, but keeps furniture and carpets from fading.

After the exterior wall had been covered with housewrap, the doors were set in place using the same rubber gasket material to seal the thresholds to the floor.

When the door units were square and level, the flange around the casing was nailed to the wall. For added security, several of the hinge screws were replaced with longer 3” ones that go all the way through the casing and into the studs.

Fireplace

Openings were cut in the interior framing for the fireplace insert and flat screen TV above it. The fireplace unit is a ventless gas model, which is important since a chimney would have blocked the existing window above it.

Heating and Cooling

To heat and cool the additional space, a separate unit was installed in the attic with vents cut into the room. Since a major renovation project like this can generate a lot of dust, it’s important to change the air filter at least once a week during construction. While an inexpensive fiberglass filter can be used for this, replace it with a high quality filter when the job is done.

Stucco

When the framing had been completed, cement backer board was screwed to the plywood on the exterior wall to provide a firm foundation for the coats of stucco. Since backer board is hard to cut and shape, trim and accent pieces were made from foam sheets with fiberglass mesh used to give the stucco added strength.

Painting

One of the more challenging tasks was painting the vaulted ceiling. Due to its height, scaffolding had to be set up in the room so the painters could reach it. After the walls, floor, and cabinets had been covered with plastic, the ceiling was sprayed white.

Amenities

The room includes a wine bar with a rack for red wine and a refrigerated cooler for white.

The flat screen television above the fireplace can be concealed behind a retractable painting when not in use.

Other Tips From This Episode

Power tools used on Today’s Homeowner with Danny Lipford® are provided by Ryobi.

While skylights are a great way to bring more natural light into your home, they can be hard to install, result in unwanted heat buildup, and are prone to leaking. ODL Tubular Skylights solve these problems by using a small diameter round lens on the roof to gather sunlight and shine it down a reflective metal tube to an diffuser mounted on the ceiling.

The lens acts to concentrate the light, even when the sun is low in the sky, while filtering out 99% of harmful UV rays. ODL Tubular Skylights are designed to minimize heat gain in the home and exceed government ENERGY STAR standards. They are available in 10” and 14” diameter models, both of which fit between standard rafters and ceiling joists to allow light in problem areas such as hallways, baths, kitchens, and closets.

The 10” diameter skylight illuminates rooms as large as 150 square feet with up to 3,750 lumens of light—the equivalent of three 100-watt bulbs—while the 14” model can provide enough light for an area twice that size. An optional light kit allows light at night as well. ODL Tubular Skylights can be installed on roofs with a minimum of 3” rise per foot up to a 12” slope.

Due to the reflective qualities of the tube, the ceiling diffuser can be offset up to a 45 degree angle from the skylight, allowing it to fit around obstructions. Once the skylight has been installed, it will provide natural light during the day free of charge, reducing the cost of your electric bills.

ODL Tubular Skylights come with a lifetime limited warrenty and are available online at The Home Depot.

Danny,

My house is 35 years old and the double pane windows are original. A few of them have begun to lose their seal and are taking on an almost opaque look. I’ve heard that I can have a professional put air in and reseal these windows? Any credence to that? Thank you, Kristen

Kristen

As double pane windows age, moisture can breach the seal and condense between the layers of glass. A company called Crystal Clear Window Works can remove this trapped moisture by drilling a small hole in the glass. After the moisture has been removed and the glass cleaned, a tiny one-way valve is installed in the hole to prevent it from reoccurring. The service is performed at your home with the window in place and costs significantly less than replacing the glass.

You can see how the process works in the (629) World of Windows episode of Today’s Homeowner with Danny Lipford®

Crystal Clear Window Works has dealers in many areas of the U.S. and Canada. They offer free estimates and provide a 20-year warrenty with their service. Check their website to find a dealer near you or call 1-800-436-4688 for additional information.

We live in Dallas. Our large front windows face west. Is there any new window product that will make the rooms shady and keep out the heat in summer? We have sun screens but all the manufactures say if we reattached the screens to their replacement windows it voids the warrenty. We are looking at about $13,000 to replace the front windows and want the best we can get to block the sun and heat. Winters are not a problem here. Thanks, Janette

Hi Janette,

Windows have come a long way in recent years and are now able to deflect much of the sunlight in the summer while at the same time retaining the heat inside your home during the winter. One of the biggest advancements has been in low-E coatings. These almost invisible films of metallic oxide are applied to one or more surfaces of the glass during manufacture and can markedly reduce the amount of sunlight and heat that enters or leaves your home. For even more protection, you can combine a low-E coating with tinted glass. Be sure to discuss your options with the window manufacturer in advance so they can make specific recommendations to fit your situation.
Danny

We are remodeling our utility room and would like to use a pocket door, because of space. Is this something that we as homeowners should be able to do, or do we need to hire a professional. We’ve done a lot of remodeling ourselves but nothing like this. - Linda

Linda,

That depends on how confident you are in your ability to tackle some serious framing and wall repair. While pocket doors are not that hard to install in new construction, they require a lot of work to retrofit to an existing home. The first thing to consider is whether the wall the door slides into contains wiring or plumbing. If so, the pipes or wires will have to be moved or rerouted. Next, check to see if the wall is load bearing. If it is, the wall will have to be supported temporarily and a header of sufficient size installed over the opening. While it’s possible to work around these problems, they make the job even harder than it already is.

If you decide to go ahead with the project, start by taking off the existing door and frame, then remove the drywall on both sides of the space the door will slide into. Pocket door kits are available online containing the track and other specialty parts, or you can buy preassembled units at home improvement stores like The Home Depot. After framing the opening, install the track and boards that form the 2” wide slot for the door. Finish the door on all sides before hanging it on the track. Once everything is sliding smoothly, install drywall using screws that are short enough to keep from going through the ¾” boards around the pocket. A special split doorjamb is available to fit around the slot and track, or a standard jamb can be ripped to size.

You too can submit your questions to Ask Danny.

Entry doors take a lot of abuse from the elements. If yours is looking a bit shabby, perhaps it’s time to dress it up by refinishing and replacing the hardware.

By following these simple steps, you can turn an eyesore into the envy of the neighborhood:

• Use a hammer and nail to remove the hinge pins.
• Take the door off its hinges. Entry doors can be heavy, so have someone on hand to help you carry it.
• Lay the door on padded sawhorses in the garage with the outer side facing up.
• Remove the old hardware and sand the finish or paint down using 80 grit sandpaper followed by finer grits.
• Stain the door followed by two coats of exterior polyurethane. Or, if you prefer, prime and paint it.
• Install a new brass kick plate and doorknocker while the door is still on the sawhorses.
• Rehang the door and install a new lockset and deadbolt.