| Installing Doors and Windows |
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Your new basement will need doors and doorways for moving between rooms as well as windows to allow in available light. In addition, windows may be required as emergency exits in basement bedrooms where there are no other exits. Your basement plans will specify what doors and windows go where, or you may be installing them as you go. In either case, let's take a closer look at how doors and windows are installed in basements. The easiest door to install is the one that isn't there. That is, a doorway can be left open for people to pass between rooms more easily. Many basement designs have rooms with doorways instead of doors, depending on the functions of each room. Obviously, the bathroom should have a door on it for privacy. However, a basement finished into a small apartment may not need a door in to a bedroom or kitchen. An archway is a fancy doorway with a curved structural member, called an arch, above the opening. Archways are especially practical in basements where headroom is at a premium because archways don't require a rectangular header or support above them. Because a doorway or archway doesn't have a door on hinges, framing them is relatively easy. Archways present some challenge as they require a curve, a difficult form to get from dimensional wood. However by using a thin piece of plywood as the curved base, you can cut a top plate and cripples (short studs) to conform to the doorway.
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