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Fire-Escape Window Screens: Security That Still Lets You Out
Anything you put over a bedroom window has two jobs. It has to keep the wrong people out. It must never keep your family in.
The short version
- A bedroom window is often the second way out in a fire.
- A fixed security screen does not open. Do not put one on an escape window.
- A fire-escape (quick-escape) screen opens from the inside only, without a key or tool.
- Everyone who sleeps in the room should know how to open it.
Why bedroom windows are different
In a house fire, the hallway can fill with smoke in minutes. If the bedroom door is not a safe way out, the window is. Firefighters may also use that window to reach someone inside.
That is why building codes treat bedroom windows as emergency exits. In California, as in most of the country, sleeping rooms need an opening you can escape through. Anything fitted over that opening, such as bars, a grille or a screen, has to open from the inside without a key, a tool or special knowledge.
The rules can vary by city and by the age of the home. Your local building department has the final word, and we are happy to talk it through when we visit.
The problem with old-style bars
Fixed window bars are the classic example of security that can trap people. They are strong, and they do not open. Some have a release, but it may need a key that no one can find in the dark.
A fixed security screen has the same limit. It is an excellent choice for a kitchen, bathroom or living-room window. It is the wrong choice for a window someone may need to climb out of.
How a fire-escape screen works
A fire-escape screen, also called a quick-escape or egress screen, uses the same stainless-steel mesh as our other security screens. The difference is in the frame.
- From outside, it behaves like a fixed security screen. There is nothing to grab, turn or lever.
- From inside, a simple release lets the screen open so a person can get out.
- The release works from the inside only.
On the Majestec screens we install, the release is a quick-release bar on the inside of the screen. Majestec describes it as an easy-release push mechanism that also locks the screen shut against tampering from outside. The screen can be made to open from the left, the right or the bottom, to suit the window and the room.
Building rules vary from city to city. Ask Roman to show you the release when he visits, and check with your local building department if you are unsure what your home needs.
Which windows need one?
As a rule of thumb:
| Window | Screen type to consider |
|---|---|
| Bedroom, or any room someone sleeps in | Fire-escape screen |
| A room with only one door and a long way to an exit | Fire-escape screen |
| Kitchen, bathroom, hallway | Fixed screen is usually fine |
| Living room with a door to outside | Fixed screen is usually fine |
If you are not sure, treat the window as an escape window. Roman will walk through the house with you and mark which is which before anything is ordered.
Five questions to ask before you buy
- Does it open from inside without a key or tool? If it needs either, it is not an escape screen.
- Can a child or an older person work it? Ask to try the release yourself.
- Can it be opened from outside? It should not be.
- Does the window behind it still open fully? The screen is only half of the exit.
- Is anything going to block it? Furniture inside, or planters and AC units outside, can get in the way.
After it is installed
- Show everyone. Each person who sleeps in the room should open the screen once, in daylight, so they know how.
- Practice. Make it part of your family fire plan, along with a meeting point outside.
- Keep the way clear. Do not park a bed frame or a desk across the window.
- Check your smoke alarms. An escape route only helps if you wake up in time. Test the alarms when you test the screen.
Security and safety, together
The whole point of a security screen on a bedroom window is to sleep with the window open and not worry. A fire-escape screen means you do not have to choose between a cool, secure room and a safe way out.
See the window screen types we fit, or look at photos of fire-escape screens on local homes.