Does your basement feel more like a dungeon than a living space?
If you have those small, rectangular windows perched high up near the ceiling, you know exactly what we mean. These "hopper" or "daylight" windows are common in older Kansas homes. They let in a tiny sliver of light, they’re often difficult to open, and in an emergency, they are practically useless as an escape route.
Many homeowners dream of swapping these tiny windows for large, bright egress windows but hesitate because of one big fear: cutting a giant hole in the foundation.
At Illumicast, we specialize in exactly this type of "surgery" for your home. Here is how we turn a dark basement into a bright, safe living space—without the mess you might expect.
The "Surgery": How We Cut Concrete Safely
The idea of sawing through your home’s foundation sounds loud, messy, and dangerous. We understand why that makes homeowners nervous. However, we use a specialized process designed to keep your home safe and clean.
- Precision Cutting: We use a large concrete saw with a circular blade to make precise cuts into your basement wall. This isn’t a sledgehammer job; it’s a precise renovation.
- Dust Control: Cutting concrete creates dust. To combat this, we use water while cutting to cool the blade and trap the dust before it becomes airborne.
- Interior Protection: Before we make a single cut, we build a plastic "tent" or dust barrier inside your basement. This traps any debris at the installation site, preventing dust from floating through your house or settling on your carpet.
The "Gaping Hole" Fear (And Why You Don't Need to Worry)
Another common worry is security. Nobody wants a gaping hole left in the side of their house overnight.
This is where our One-Day Installation shines. We don’t leave your home exposed. Because we use specialized equipment—like excavators and concrete saws—and precast our window wells beforehand, we can complete the entire project in a single day.
- Morning: We arrive, protect your lawn with plywood, and begin excavation.
- Mid-Day: We cut the concrete, remove the old wall section, and install the new window well.
- Afternoon: We install the window, backfill the dirt (using hydraulic tamping to prevent settling), and clean up.
By the time we leave, your home is secure, sealed, and safe. You never have to worry about rain pouring into an open hole at 3:00 a.m.
The Difference: Safety and Light
The transformation is often startling. A standard small basement window might only offer about 3 square feet of opening. In contrast, our egress windows (like the 48x48 slider) offer massive amounts of natural light and meet the 5.7 square foot requirement for safety codes.
Replacing a small window in the same location is often the smartest move. It eliminates the need to patch brick on the outside or drywall on the inside where the old window used to be.
Ready to ditch the dungeon?
If you want to replace a small, leaky, or inefficient basement window with a safe, energy-efficient egress window, we can help you do it in just one day.
Call us today at 620-200-0616 for a custom quote.