# Covering Basement Windows



## critter7 (Jun 15, 2012)

My landlord wants to cover all the basement windows with plywood pieces. We use it for storage and the furnaces & water heaters are down there. I live on the floor above the basement. Currently the windows are in good shape, the frames need caulked & painted which I was going to do but he said he was just going to board them up. I'm sure he doesn't want to replace them & he knows very little about taking care of a house and makes bad decisions when he does do something.

Is this one of them? If he cuts off all the light to the basement, will there be problems that might effect my living above it? There are a lot of openings/cracks in the foundation & around the basement door. Will that play a part in how the basement will do?

I should add, despite my apt. being up from ground level, I get a lot of centipedes. I suspect they start in the basement now. 

I'd like some info that might sway him from doing this just as an easy way out before I have to deal with the consequences.

Thanks.


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

Its largely a personal preference but it sounds like it will look even worse with the plywood.

You will need to also check about egress requirements and code.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

Windows on Wash said:


> Its largely a personal preference but it sounds like it will look even worse with the plywood.
> 
> You will need to also check about egress requirements and code.


If they are anything like the windows in my basement, you would never be able to shove a body through them, let alone costs out weigh fixes like this. As long as no one lives down there, I see no problem with what the landlord is doing.

We took foil faced foam board, and placed over our basement windows, due to too much exchange of conditioned air in the summer. All we did was caulk to hold the panels up. If you had to remove them, a whole lot easier than trying to remove screwed on or glued on ply.


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## HomeSealed (Jan 3, 2008)

+1 to both comments. It will look terrible either way, but if he is going to cover them up, he should use some rigid foam board and seal it. The only real downside is losing the natural light.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

And the plywoods going to delaminite, and rot.


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## critter7 (Jun 15, 2012)

Thanks all. And thanks for the remark the plywood will rot. One of the windows has my furnace pipes coming out, is right above the ground, so there is a lot of heat & moisture around it in the winter. Only place I can be sure there's never any ice! So, that might be a bad place to put it.

Thanks again.


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## Bonzai (Oct 29, 2010)

With no natural light there will probably be lots of bugs and critters that will love it. Perhaps more friends for the centipedes ;-). With cracks in the foundation sounds like a lovely place for vacationing mould spores.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

Bonzai said:


> With no natural light there will probably be lots of bugs and critters that will love it. Perhaps more friends for the centipedes ;-). With cracks in the foundation sounds like a lovely place for vacationing mould spores.


Actually if you keep it dry and clean, bugs and other stuff does not take up residence.


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## Bonzai (Oct 29, 2010)

gregzoll said:


> Actually if you keep it dry and clean, bugs and other stuff does not take up residence.


I was referring to the fact there are lots of cracks and holes in the foundation as well as nobody living there (just storage) so chances are the heat will not be kept on and not cleaned regularly if not the tenants responsibility.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

Bonzai said:


> I was referring to the fact there are lots of cracks and holes in the foundation as well as nobody living there (just storage) so chances are the heat will not be kept on and not cleaned regularly if not the tenants responsibility.


That is what happens, when you rent from owners that do not take care of their properties. Unless the owner keeps the property in sound shape, majority of the rentals out there are not worth living in.

Also, no one should be living in a basement period. As for keeping it conditioned, would only work if the cracks are sealed to keep air loss at a min.


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## Bonzai (Oct 29, 2010)

gregzoll said:


> That is what happens, when you rent from owners that do not take care of their properties. Unless the owner keeps the property in sound shape, majority of the rentals out there are not worth living in.
> 
> Also, no one should be living in a basement period. As for keeping it conditioned, would only work if the cracks are sealed to keep air loss at a min.


Just to clarify; there are plenty of basements which are perfectly legal as living space either as separate units with a dedicated entry or as part of a larger home. A crawl space however is something totally different.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

Bonzai said:


> Just to clarify; there are plenty of basements which are perfectly legal as living space either as separate units with a dedicated entry or as part of a larger home. A crawl space however is something totally different.


Yes there are, and then there are basements not legal to live in, or use as a living space. Only if it has a means of egress besides the entrance or exit to the space, can it be used for living space. Also, what does this have to do with the OP original question? The answer is nothing.


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## Bonzai (Oct 29, 2010)

gregzoll said:


> Yes there are, and then there are basements not legal to live in, or use as a living space. Only if it has a means of egress besides the entrance or exit to the space, can it be used for living space. Also, what does this have to do with the OP original question? The answer is nothing.


I was simply correcting your statement "no one should be living in a basement period" ... That is not a correct statement as per my previous comment as is very misleading to anyone reading it.


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## Bonzai (Oct 29, 2010)

critter7 said:


> Thanks all. And thanks for the remark the plywood will rot. One of the windows has my furnace pipes coming out, is right above the ground, so there is a lot of heat & moisture around it in the winter. Only place I can be sure there's never any ice! So, that might be a bad place to put it.
> 
> Thanks again.


Are you saying the vent for the furnace actually comes through the window or through the wall near a window? Either way that's not allowed here as any warm vented air near a window is asking for problems. Has to be 3' minimum away from any window ... But your local code may differ (my standard disclaimer given I have no idea where you are).


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