General information for homeowners, not legal, code or engineering advice. Permit and code rules change and vary by municipality; check with the City of Milwaukee or your suburb’s building inspection office before you start work.
When old basement windows wear out, most Milwaukee homeowners choose between glass block and a new window that opens. Both can be the right answer. It depends on what the basement is used for, whether you need fresh air, and whether the window may ever need to serve as an emergency exit.
What glass block is good at
- Privacy: daylight comes in, but people outside can’t see clearly into the basement.
- Security: a mortared panel has no latch to pry and is much harder to break through than an old single-pane sash.
- Sealing: a well-installed panel stops the drafts and leaks common with worn basement windows.
- Low upkeep: nothing to paint, no moving parts.
What a regular window is good at
- Fresh air: an opening window lets you air out a basement. Glass block vents are small by comparison.
- A clear view: clear glass if you want to see outside.
- Escape: a properly sized window that opens can serve as an emergency exit. Glass block cannot.
The egress question
Building codes generally require a bedroom, including a basement bedroom, to have an emergency escape opening: a window or door large enough to climb out of, with a sill low enough to reach. A fixed glass block panel is not an escape opening, even if it has a vent. If a basement room is used as a bedroom, or you plan to finish the basement with one, at least that room likely needs an egress window rather than glass block. Exact requirements depend on the code your municipality enforces, so check with the City of Milwaukee or your suburb’s building inspection office.
Many homes end up with a mix: glass block in the laundry, storage and mechanical areas, and an egress window where a bedroom or living space needs one.
Quick way to decide
- Unfinished laundry, storage or workshop area, privacy and security matter most: glass block is usually a good fit.
- Bedroom now or in the future: plan for an egress window in that room.
- You want to open the window for air often: a regular window, or ask about a glass block panel with a vent.
Next step
Tell us which windows you are thinking about. A local contractor can look at each one and recommend what fits. Seebasement glass block windows.