0 %

DIY guideEscape plan

Plan two ways out

Two ways out of every bedroom, a meeting spot outside, and escape windows that open with a clear well.

  • 20 to 40 min
  • 6 steps
  • Every step animated
Plan two ways out: the animation’s first picture

6 steps

Tap a step to watch it again.

  1. From every bedroom, find two ways out: the door, and a window that opens.

  2. Open each escape window all the way. It should open from inside without a key or tools, wide enough to climb through.

  3. Outside a basement window, clear snow, leaves and anything stored in the well, so the window opens and you can climb out.

  4. Choose a spot outside that everyone knows, like a tree or the mailbox, a safe distance from the house.

  5. Walk both ways out with everyone in the home, twice a year. Make sure children can open their windows.

  6. Painted shut, stuck, too small, or behind bars with no quick release? Ask Handyman for a pro to fix it.

What you need

  • A sketch of your home's rooms
  • Everyone who lives there

Call a pro if

  • A bedroom window won't open, or is painted shut
  • Window bars have no quick release
  • A basement bedroom has no window big enough to climb out

Handyman says: Window stuck? I'll find a pro to fix it.

Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.

Icon Rather have
a pro do it?