This summer I’m planning to construct a new bedroom for our teenage son in a corner of our basement. Are there any issues I should be aware of before I begin the project?

Here are a few tips and tricks that may save you time and money and ensure your son can sleep safely. Consider insulating your concrete foundation walls with R12 high density Styrofoam. You’ll save time with this material because you can bond it directly to the concrete with appropriate caulking mastic. Your drywall can then be bonded to the high density Styrofoam, saving you the effort and expense of constructing a frame wall for conventional fiberglass insulation.

Make sure you install an “egress” bedroom window. There is a minimum opening size and restrictions on the type of opening hardware for a bedroom window. As well, the bottom sill should not be more that 5”-00” above the floor. These requirements are part of the BC Building Code to ensure that a sleeping person can awake to a safe escape from a burning building. When you purchase the window be sure to tell the supplier that the window you’re ordering is for a bedroom and you want it to meet the Building Code bedroom egress requirements.

Another important safety component is a smoke alarm, most effective when mounted outside the bedroom door on the ceiling. The most reliable alarms are 110-volt, wired directly to a branch circuit with no switch to interrupt the current. You may consider inter-connecting the new alarm to your existing 110-volt smoke alarm upstairs, providing early warning to sleepers in other areas of your home.