How To Install A Window Well Drain

How to Prepare a Window Well that'southward Filling with Water

Apr 18, 2014 • By Matthew Stock.

Having windows in the basement is great. They admit natural low-cal, can be opened to let in some often badly needed fresh air and, properly configured, can serve as an emergency escape.

Of course, when there are windows in the basement, there take to be window wells exterior unless, of grade, the homeowner enjoys a close-up view of dirt. A window well provides space for all that lite and air and forms a rigid bulwark to agree dorsum soil.

On the downside, a basement window does create another opening in a foundation wall that can acknowledge h2o into the basement. A properly fitted and maintained window volition proceed out pocket-sized seepage and is an essential office of keeping the basement dry.

The window well also plays a significant role. For all its virtues, a window well is nothing but a large opening in the footing next to a foundation and, like whatsoever big opening in the basis has the potential to make full with water during a heavy or sustained rain or snow melt.

When a window well does make full with water, it puts the basement window to the test by creating force per unit area on the window and by holding water that seeks any minor opening to convalesce that pressure by entering the basement infinite.

So, what's the best style to ready a window well that'south filling with h2o?

Fixing a Window Well That'south Filling with Water

Fixing (or preventing) a window well filling with water is all about two components of the window well organization – the drain and the cover.

Window Well Drain – Every window well should have a drain to allow h2o to exit the window well and not build to a level that creates a basement seepage problem. Drains can be connected to interior or outside drain tile or can be run to daylight where a proper slope exists. With a well-constructed and properly maintained drain, a window well should never fill with water.

Of form, some home builders will have short cuts with window wells and install them without drains. More ordinarily, though, the drains are there but, because of lack of maintenance, they clog upward.

And so, one way to fix a window well that is filling with water is to discover and unclog the drain. Cleaning debris from the opening to the bleed is usually a fairly like shooting fish in a barrel task simply, if the drain has become clogged below the surface it tin can be difficult to unclog. The all-time way, of course to deal with a chock-full window well drain is to forbid it from clogging in the outset identify by installing a proper window well cover.

Window Well Covers – The most important function of a window well cover is non keeping out water but keeping out the kind of debris – leaves, grass clippings, trash – that will clog the drain. Many homeowners make the understandable error of installing flimsy plastic "chimera" covers from the hardware store thinking that they will keep out water. While still intact these covers create a surprisingly efficient greenhouse for weeds just are hands croaky and broken, rendering them useless.

A steel grid embrace is better but can notwithstanding admit a lot of debris.

The all-time window well embrace volition be constructed of reinforced polycarbonate and will be custom-fitted to the window well to ensure that it covers it completely. This blazon of cover, while incidentally preventing most water from entering, volition do an excellent task of keeping out debris (and small animals) and keeping the window well drain open and working.

Of course, these window well covers aren't available from the big box store; the homeowner will need the assistance of a basement waterproofing contractor with experience in fabricating and installing polycarbonate covers. At U.S. Waterproofing, we have installed custom-fitted polycarbonate window well covers for thousands of the 300,000 happy homeowners nosotros have served since our founding in 1957. Why non ask for our free advice on keeping your window wells from filling with water?

If you lot'd similar to know more than about window wells, please post your questions in the Comments box below.

Tags: window well filling with h2o, prepare window well

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