03-07-2026, 12:22 AM
Building codes are a rabbit hole of information. While designing my new home plans, knowing that I want some bedrooms in the basement I look up egress requirements. Then that leads me to the minimum natural light and ventilation required for a bedroom. And the code says that the windows need to be x sq/ft based on the size of the room. Then I'm looking to see what the minimum gap between windows is on a below grade foundation wall. That leads me to a table describing sheer walls and reinforcement. By the end, I'm calculating live and dead loads for various beam types (LVL, steel, lumber - and if it's southern pine, douglas fir, or ponderosa pine), joist orientation based on HVAC and plumbing routing. Hours go by and I'm exhausted. And I still don't know what the egress requirements are...