Sneak Peek: Westerly Project Windows

Many renovations involve relocating windows, but that change usually requires simply cutting into framing timbers and adding new headers.

At the Westerly, RI, project, however, the desire for a new window put TOH home builder Jeff Sweenor up against the wall: a solid-concrete foundation wall, to be exact. The existing basement’s only source of natural light was a set of windows located on the back of the house.

During the renovation, a new deck will be built back there, creating a great spot for outdoor living, but with the unfortunate side effect of covering up the basement windows. To give the homeowners the option for a finished basement with natural light, Sweenor and his crew got to work adding windows to the front of the basement.

Cutting a hole in a concrete foundation wall, however, is not a job for any old saw; in this case, they brought a purpose-built concrete hydraulic wall saw to the site just for the task. Slow yet precise, the saw did the trick, creating a 6-foot-by-2-foot opening that is plenty big enough to let in the light.