Omit basement windows in ventilated basements?

Hello everyone,

I only got the idea because of Cumpa’s light well thread:

If I connect the basement to the controlled residential ventilation, couldn’t I also do without the basement windows?

Background: we initially didn’t plan a controlled residential ventilation and therefore naturally had windows in the basement rooms. But now we are taking in a controlled residential ventilation after all and the basement will also be ventilated.

The question now is whether we could simply save the windows in basement 3 (storage room) and the building services. The light wells are somewhat in the way there anyway...

However, basement 2 will be an office room with a light well, the windows there are set and due to our design flood level they will also be flood-proof windows including drainage of the light well.

I would be undecided about basement 1, that will be my workshop, I would probably leave the window in there.

I don’t yet know if it’s really worth it. For the light well of basement 2 I need drainage anyway and have to run it to the inspection shaft. Therefore the savings potential might be limited to the flood-proof windows in basement 3 and the building services plus the light wells. Together that will still be about €3-4k.

So the question to the group:

Have you installed windows in a basement with controlled residential ventilation or could you really do without them?

Best regards,

Andreas

Installed windows, however, we do not have to consider any groundwater level.

One light well with a normal window and two rooms have a "normal" light well window (100x80, triple glazed). In the bathroom and the adjoining room we have no window - in the latter it was once planned as well, but I found it pointless.

Controlled residential ventilation is present in all rooms.

Hi Sebastian,

unfortunately we have the design water level = ground level = turf. The groundwater is only at 7-8 m, but the soil drains poorly and so you have the seepage water everywhere you don’t want it.

I didn’t expect that with the sandy soils here either but apparently that’s how it is....

Are you already living in the house? If so, do you manage to keep the basement rooms without windows sufficiently dry just with the controlled residential ventilation?

Best regards,

Andreas

No, I don’t live there - but the basement was already drier than the other floors before the ventilation was installed.

However, due to the bathroom and the dryer in the adjoining room, I consider the controlled residential ventilation to be indispensable. Also for temperature mixing.

Hello,

you have brought me to an interesting thought. We are also planning a controlled residential ventilation system, but the current design also includes 4 recess windows. I even thought that this was legally required, but now I have no idea how I came to that.

Regards

Hi,
I haven’t discussed it with my planner yet, he is still busy with the changes from last week... I had also thought about whether any building regulations (escape routes or similar?) might oppose it. But there are plenty of houses with storage rooms or bathrooms without windows and thus without escape routes, so why not a basement room?

I will discuss it with my general contractor during the week and then give feedback on what he says. The windows are now included in the construction contract. Whether we consider it further will also depend on the refund.

Best regards,

Andreas