Basement Window Replacement
Basement Window Replacement for Lenexa Foundations
Basement window replacement in Lenexa usually means dealing with single-pane, steel-framed units that were set into the concrete when the walls were poured. We take those out and fit insulated vinyl windows in their place. Cold air stops pooling on the basement floor, rain and bugs stay outside, and the window locks.
What Lenexa Basements Usually Have
Go downstairs in a Lenexa house from the 1960s, 70s or 80s and you'll likely find the same window: a steel frame cast into the foundation wall, one sheet of glass, a latch that rusted years ago, and often a square of foam board somebody wedged in to cut the draft. The bottom of the frame goes first, because that's where water sits.
A walkout basement is different. Its back wall is framed in lumber like the floors above, and those windows are replaced the way any upstairs window is.
Getting a Steel Frame Out of Concrete
There are two ways to do it, and the condition of the steel decides which.
Leave the frame, fit inside it
If the steel is solid, we remove the old sash, wire-brush and treat the rust, and set the new window inside the frame, then cap the exposed metal. It's quick and there's very little dust. The cost is an inch or two of glass all the way around.
Cut the frame out
When the frame is rusted through, we cut it in the middle and fold it out of the wall. The new window is anchored to the concrete itself, with backer rod and sealant at the perimeter and a sill sloped to shed water. You keep the full opening. Expect more noise, more dust and more time.
Hopper or Slider
A hopper is hinged at the bottom and tilts into the room. It seals tightly, sheds rain while open, and suits the short, wide openings most foundations have. A slider is easier to reach and operate over a deep window well, and it's the better pick when the opening is wide enough for two sashes.
If a dryer vent, sump discharge or radon pipe runs out through one of your windows, mention it. We can order that unit with a solid panel in place of part of the glass, so the pipe has a sealed way through.
Window Wells and Water
A new window will not fix a well that fills with water. During the estimate we look at the things that keep a well dry: gravel sitting several inches below the sill, a drain that isn't clogged with leaves, soil graded away from the house, and a downspout that doesn't empty beside it.
We clear debris from the well while the window is out and point out anything that needs a landscaper or foundation company. A clear cover keeps leaves and most rain out afterward.
Basement Bedrooms and Egress
A bedroom below grade needs an emergency escape opening. The International Residential Code sets the minimums: 5.7 square feet of clear opening, at least 24 inches high and 20 inches wide, with the sill no more than 44 inches above the floor. A standard steel basement window is nowhere near that.
We replace windows in the openings that exist. Cutting a foundation wall and digging a code-size well is work for an egress or foundation contractor. If your basement already has an escape-size opening, we replace that window with one that still clears the required dimensions, and we measure the clear opening of the new unit to prove it, since a thicker frame can quietly shrink it.
Basement Window Replacement Questions
Is it difficult to replace a basement window?
In a framed walkout wall, no. In poured concrete it takes more care than an upstairs window. The opening is rarely square, there's no wood to fasten into, and rust has usually welded the old frame in place. Most of the labor goes into preparing the opening and sealing the new unit to the concrete.
What are the best replacement windows for a basement?
A vinyl hopper or slider with insulated Low-E glass. Vinyl can't rust or rot where it touches damp masonry, and double-pane glass ends the cold draft at floor level. Glass block is secure and private but gives up most of the ventilation and can't serve as an exit.
Can a basement window be made bigger?
Yes, though it stops being a window job. Lowering the sill is the simpler cut, since the wall above keeps its support. Widening the opening needs a new lintel. Both call for a concrete-cutting contractor, and once the new opening exists we size and fit the window for it.
What is the average cost to replace a basement window?
The unit itself is among the least expensive windows in a house because it's small. Cutting out a steel frame adds labor that an upstairs window doesn't have. Sourced national ranges are on the window prices page. Many customers add the basement to a larger order so the trip and setup are shared.
Count them and send the number
Tell us how many basement windows you have and whether the frames are steel or wood. We'll come measure and check the wells.