Although many people consider any room with a bed that people sleep in to be a bedroom, there are actually very specific guidelines a room must adhere to in order to be classified a bedroom. This is primarily important for real estate purposes, but these features also play a role in the comfort and safety of tenants and guests.
Seattle has adopted a modified version of the International Residential Code. This defines a bedroom as:
- Minimum 70 sq. ft.
- Minimum seven ft. ceiling height (If the ceiling is slanted, at least 50 percent of it must be seven ft.)
- Some type of heating system capable of maintaining a temperature of at least 68-degrees Fahrenheit (plugged in space heaters don’t meet the requirement)
- A window or door that opens to the exterior for ventilation
- Every bedroom needs to have at least two ways in or out, and one of those should be an egress, which essentially means it opens to the outside
To be categorized as an egress window for bedrooms, a window must meet the following minimum specifications:
- Window sill must be no more than 44 in. from the floor
- When open, the window must be:
- A minimum of 24 in. high
- A minimum width of 20 in.
- Have a minimum opening area of 5.7 sq. ft.
- The window needs to be functional and easy to operate, meaning it can’t require any tools or keys to open
- If you’re adding a guest bedroom in a basement, the window well has to have a minimum area of nine sq. ft. and allow for the window to be completely opened for emergency escape
If you have a room in your home that you want to use as a guestroom, but it doesn’t have a window leading outside or the window is too small to meet the minimum requirements, Procraft can help. One of the services we offer is modification or addition of window openings.
Consulting on and installing egress windows is one of our specialties, including basement egress windows. If you want to turn a room in your basement into an official bedroom, we can help you understand the egress window requirements and how you can modify the room and even your exterior window well (if necessary) to ensure the room meets all code requirements.
10 Ways to Make a Comfortable Guest Bedroom Visitors Won’t Want to Leave
Do you want to make some extra money renting out a room or do you have friends and family you want to feel welcome and comfortable when they visit? Having a luxurious guest bedroom is a great way to make your home more appealing to visitors and temporary tenants.
Here are some things to keep in mind when designing or renovating your guest bedroom:
- Bed quality is going to have a significant impact on how visitors feel about staying in your guest bedroom, so you may want to invest in a nice mattress.
- Many people who have guest rooms eventually end up using the available drawer and storage space in those rooms for their own things. Fight the urge to do so to ensure your guests have room for their things.
- Don’t go overboard on decorations. Not everyone has the same tastes and they sometimes take up valuable surface area your guests may need for their own things.
- Having a surface, like a folding luggage rack, where guests can put their bags can be a nice touch.
- Many people do travel with clothes they’d prefer to hang, so try to leave at least a foot or two of closet space in your guest room’s closet for your guests.
- A nice, easy-to-read alarm clock with a backlight placed next to the bed on a nightstand will be a valuable addition to your guestroom.
- Having a hair dryer and similar amenities in your guest bedroom’s adjoining or nearby bathroom can be a big plus for guests who may not travel with their own. Other things like an iron and ironing board can also be a nice touch.
- Putting a TV in a guestroom can be an especially appreciated by guests who may want to put on the news when they wake up or watch TV while they’re getting to sleep. This also gives them the ability to avoid feeling too obtrusive on your own lifestyle.
- If you have a security system or any peculiarities about your homes that guests should know about, make sure to tell them or write out instructions to leave in the guest room (like the Wi-Fi password) so they don’t run into any unwelcome surprises.
- If you have frequent guests, you may want to make a couple extra sets of keys and color code them as necessary to make things easier on visitors.
Home Renovations to Consider for the Optimal Guestroom Experience
Egress windows aren’t the only option when it comes to providing a means to exit to the exterior of your home from the bedroom. Adding French doors can be an elegant touch that provides a lot of natural light and class while also meeting the egress requirements for building codes. French doors are also a great way to promote seamless indoor-outdoor living and make excellent use of a beautiful yard space, if that’s an attractive feature of your home.
If you’re interested in classing up your guest room or entire home to make it more appealing to visitors, wood clad replacement windows can definitely enhance a room’s ambience and aesthetics. Procraft offers a variety of options for both French doors, wood-framed windows and wood clad replacement windows. We also have the expertise and knowhow to create new openings or modify existing window or door openings to accommodate any new home renovations you want to make.
Contact Procraft today at (206) 361-5121 to schedule a free estimate and design consultation.
