Don't forget to consider your basement door lock. Strengthen your security by installing a deadbolt. Read various reviews to determine the best lock rather than opting for the cheapest.
Because basements aren't generally super hard to get into. And considering that they are under the house breaking a window and getting in can happen without somebody inside noticing. So.. it locks from inside of the house so nobody can get inside of the house.
If you'd like to brighten your basement, consider a sliding glass or French door. While less secure than a metal door, there are still excellent options for security and energy efficiency. They also provide a welcoming exit to a patio or outdoor lawn area.
However, with egress basement doors, you want them to swing out, according to NFPA 101. This is because when the door swings out in the direction that you're going, it makes escaping your home a lot easier.
You should keep all doors and some windows closed to retain heat in the building, otherwise, you will be wasting money keeping it warm. When you open the door to an air conditioned room in the summer, are you letting cold air out or hot air in? Cold air is heavier than warm air.
It can be tempting to slam the doors and hope the cool air builds up in the areas where you want it, but the fact is that modern air conditioning units are designed as whole-house systems. So when you shut that door, you're only making it much harder for your system to cool your home.
Close the door to the basement to conserve heat and energy costs. Heat naturally rises from the lower levels of a house upward, but a draft through an opened basement door cuts right into the warmth of the main floor.
Walkout basement
Walkout basements are almost always finished. They generally have a separate entrance, so a door that heads right outside from the space, and are common in homes built on a slope.
In short: 65% of burglaries involve a criminal being able to defeat your front door security. As such, it's crucial to have a high-security lock on your front and back doors.
Home and garage doors should always be locked. Almost 50% of burglars enter homes and property through unlocked doors and windows. Use your locks. Never leave keys outdoors.
Burglars can use lock-picking tools to get into locked doors or windows without damaging them too much. These tools allow them to open most locks without leaving evidence that they were there.
Don't forget to consider your basement door lock. Strengthen your security by installing a deadbolt. Read various reviews to determine the best lock rather than opting for the cheapest.
One of the main disadvantages of a walkout basement is that it requires extra investment. In order to add a walkout basement to your home, you will need to excavate the land around your home and build a foundation for the basement. It also may require alterations to your septic system and other utilities.
One of the main disadvantages of having a walkout basement is the increased cost it'll take to build one. These basements are usually built on a hill, and if there's no hill, the only other option would be custom excavating to create a slope.
Leakage risk
Leakages are more common in walkouts that are not at a steep angle, often suggesting that the basement was excavated at a considerable slope and retaining walls were put up on either side of the walkout. Moisture can collect in the walkout area in these cases.
In general, it is usually OK to close vents in a basement. It is on the main floor that you probably do not want to close any vents. Your furnace fan is moving cool air in the summer months. If you reduce the number of exit points for the cool air, your furnace fan can no longer move as much air.
Here's what will happen if you get the timing wrong. When you open basement windows in the summer, you're letting in more warm and humid air. This air will cause condensation and worsen the conditions down there. Imagine sipping a cold beverage on a sweltering hot day.
Your once stale basement will become more comfortable and habitable just like the living space above. Constant air movement ensures air doesn't stagnate or get stale, which means fewer mold spores and bacteria growing on the basement walls.
We know that cold air is heavier than warm air. Cold air will work its way down until it finds the lowest level of the home or a room that it can not go any further. This leaves the warm air to move up and occupy the upper levels.
Closing Your Basement Vents: The Benefits
If you don't frequently use your basement or the rooms in the lower levels of your home, it's the most cost-effective to seal them off during the summer. This way, you reduce the amount of airflow into those rooms and make them easier to temperature control.