How To Install Window Well Covers

Installing Foundation Window Wells

By Todd Fratzel on Foundations

Window Well Installation

Foundation / Basement Window Wells Installing window wells is a very practiced fashion of preventing unwanted water from entering into your basement windows. Window wells as well allow the finish grade to be brought to an elevation higher than the window while still letting lite into the window.

How To Install Window Wells

Window well installation is fairly easy for new construction and not all that more complicated for existing buildings. Window wells help keep sufficient class separation around foundation windows. They should be properly drained to preclude basement flooding during wet periods. The following directions utilize to both new and existing construction.

Set Window Well Elevation

First you'll need to set an elevation for the window wells. I like to prepare the superlative of the window well at least two to iii inches above finished grade. This ensures that h2o and debris don't fall into the finished window well. Information technology's very important that the finished grade be no closer to the house siding than 8 or 9 inches. Therefore y'all'll desire to set the top of window well most 6 inches down from the siding.

Dig / Excavate For Window Wells

You'll need to dig a hole twice the size and depth of the window well. Also, you should excavate a trench for a drainage pipe from the base of the window well out to "daylight" or connect information technology to a properly tuckered foundation drain. In one case the drainage pipe is installed I like to install clean pea rock at to the lowest degree 12 inches deep below the base of the window well. Yous can also fill the lesser of the window well with a couple inches of stone as well.

Window Well Drainage

Window well installation must be properly tuckered or you risk having water encounter your basement through the foundation windows during a rain upshot. The best fashion to drain window wells is to install a foundation drain with positive pitch (1% minimum) from the base of the window well to a location on your holding that allows the drain to "daylight" and drain out onto the basis.

Sometimes it's necessary to bleed the window wells to the foundation drains (if they are properly tuckered to daylight) or you may need to connect them to a rock under-drain. At any rate this is extremely important and a step that must not be skipped.

Adhere Window Wells To Foundation Walls

Every bit you can see in the photo window wells have been installed at each foundation window. The window wells are fabricated from a heavy gauge galvanized steel. The window wells have mounting holes pre-drilled on each side. To install them we use TAPCON SLOTTED HEX Caput MASONRY ANCHORS to attach the window wells to the concrete foundation wall. Once the window wells are attached to the concrete wall the ground can be back-filled in front end of them.

That's all there is to installing a window well. In the winter y'all may want to purchase Window Well Covers to keep snow and ice out of the window wells.