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.
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.
If you have a finished basement, you don't need to block the view with a door. However, you may want a door to prevent accidental falls down the stairs and onto the concrete floor.
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.
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.
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.
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.
There are several benefits to having a walkout basement, including improved ventilation and easier access to your backyard. However, walkout basements also come with a few potential drawbacks, including higher construction costs and the possibility of water infiltration.
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.
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.
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.
An open stairwell to the basement is a giant whirlpool of cool air. This cooler heavier air from the floor above settles into and pools at the lowest point, the finished basement! Run your furnace fan in the “On” position. Now the air is always circulating and mixing throughout your home.
Better Comfort Throughout Your Home
Even if you don't spend a lot of time in the basement, keeping it warm will make a difference in other parts of the house — particularly the rooms right above it. We talked about the same phenomenon when we looked at bonus rooms above garages.
Bulkhead doors are the most popular although you can opt for a standing door depending on how frequently the basement will be accessed. You can talk to your contractor to find the best type of door to suit your basement.
While closing doors throughout your home will always help slow the spread of a fire, closing your bedroom doors at night is even more important because you and your family are probably more likely to have delayed notification of the fire and will have less time to react and respond to the emergency due to suddenly ...
Contrary to common belief, closing off a room can actually make your heating less efficient. When interior doors are kept shut, the pressure in the room increases because the flow of air is now blocked. The air in the pressurized room will not stay in the room; it will find ways to get out.
While your dehumidifier's on, keep your doors ajar. Dehumidifiers can't attract the moist air with the doors closed! Opening your doors slightly allows sufficient airflow so your dehumidifier can do its job. Easterly-facing walls get less sunlight, so they suffer most from condensation.
It's actually one of the key fire safety tips you need to know. Closing your door may not seem like a big deal. But in the event of a house fire, it could give you more time to escape the flames. Forty years ago, the average time to escape a house fire was 17 minutes.
A finished basement can add value to your home — between 70%-75% of the initial cost. You'll essentially be adding living space to your house, which will be a clear advantage when it comes to selling your home. As potential buyers come to look at your home, they'll be impressed with the new look of your basement.
Homes in high-visibility places, like on corner lots, are far less likely to be broken into. There are simply too many potential ways to be seen. But townhomes, houses in the middle of the block, or houses in a cul-de-sac are much better targets.
These are the most common points of entry for home break-ins: Front door: 34% of burglars twist the doorknob and walk right in. First-floor windows: 23% use a first-floor open window to break into your home. Back door: 22% come in through the back door.
Lock picking is a combination of skill, training, practice, specialist tools and patience. However, trust us, that is not the profile of the typical UK burglar. UK burglars are not highly skilled, trained lock pickers. They are thugs who try and batter their way through your door and lock.