Add an Entrance to Your Basement

When building a new home, plan the foundation to include an exterior staircase and entry basement doors. The foundation contractor can build a foundation extension or areaway to fit the door system you choose. Whether you use poured concrete or concrete block, accurate construction of the areaway foundation and the door opening is essential. Your foundation contractor will follow the specifications from the access door manufacturer for a weather- and watertight fit. Once it’s poured, it's time to look at the stairs and doors.

New Construction

The typical basement foundation is nine feet deep, so stairs are a necessity. The most cost-effective stair-building solution is to purchase pre-made stringers to support the stairs. The steel supports or stringers are placed within the areaway foundation and bolted to the foundation walls and floor. When the basement doors are installed, wooden stair treads are cut and placed in these stringers.

Another option is a pre-cast concrete stairway sized to fit the steel door unit you select. When the foundation contractor pours the footings and foundation, a cutout is left sized for the pre-cast stairway. Once the foundation had cured, the pre-cast stairway system is delivered and dropped into place. Typically, the pre-cast stairs were prepped with a self-sealing adhesive and attached directly to the foundation wall. Steel anchors hold the stairway to the foundation, and backfill sits under and around it to insulate the stairway and keep it in place.