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How To Select The Right Bubble Cover For a Basement Well?

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Nowadays, there are a variety of designs and even material combinations you can choose from for a well cover. From low-profile flat designs to dome-style covers, you can have almost anything engineered to your heart’s desire. 

Yet, despite all of this, one product remains the staple of window well covers – the Bubble Cover. Its classic design is almost always the first association many people have when thinking, “I need a new cover for my window well .”The reasons are simple:

  • A perfectly engineered bubble looks marvelous
  • The dome design discourages children and pets alike to sit on top of it
  • It is easy to spot even under snow, so the risk of someone stepping on it is significantly reduced

So, now you are wondering why don’t everyone buy a bubble window well cover. And we have the answers for that, too:

  • Bubble covers only come in so many shapes and sizes.
  • Big-box store bubbles are not durable. They are made from a thin plastic that chips and breaks easily and turns yellow over a season. 
  • Big-box store bubbles do not support a lot of weight.

This is where Window Well Experts come to the rescue. Our bubble window well covers are not like the rest! And this is not an empty marketing promise. We believe in our product from the depth of our hearts. Thus, when you choose a bubble window well cover from Window Well Experts, you get:

  • Lifetime Warranty on all bubble well covers
  • 150 lbs weight guarantee (we’ve seen our covers survive 6ft of snow on top of them)
  • Made from UNBREAKABLE polycarbonate
  • UV-treated plastic (so your bubble cover will remain crystal clear for years and years)

But there is more! We are the company that engineers the widest variety of bubble window well covers in two shapes – elongated and semi-circular covers. 

THE INTRICACIES OF CHOOSING THE RIGHT BUBBLE WINDOW WELL COVER

Now that we’ve covered all the basics, it’s time to get down to business and figure out how to choose a bubble cover. First, we will guide you through the process with a series of questions:

WHAT IS YOUR WELL MADE OF?

You will be surprised how often we ask this question. The material of your well gives us tons of information. But then again, this is why we call ourselves experts. So, here are the most common options:

  • Metal
  • Concrete
  • Timber
  • Brick
  • Plastic
  • Paver

Do you have something else? Let us know. 

WHAT SHAPE IS YOUR WELL?

The shape will determine our recommendation for cover. So, you have to get this question right!

  • Semi-Circular
  • Elongated
  • Rectangular

Remember that our bubble covers are generally made for a metal well, so there are no “corners .”See Photo 1 below for reference.

Photo 1: Elongated Bubble Cover 

CAN I INSTALL A BUBBLE COVER ON A SQUARE WELL?

We had a customer order a bubble for his concrete well, which we don’t usually recommend. It’s the classic “Square peg, Round Hole” scenario below. While it might look good or simply fit your idea of what a window well cover looks like, you need to be aware that it’s not the perfect solution.

As you will see in Photo 2 (just below), the cover does not protect the entire opening of the well. So you will be skipping on the 100% protection guarantee we are so proud of at the Window Well Experts headquarters. 

Water, debris, snow, small animals, and pests will still be able to enter your well. They can cause all sorts of havoc upon your well and basement. So beware!

 Photo 2: Square well – Semi-Circle Bubble Cover

THE ELEGANT SOLUTION

Just like we are proud of coming up with a solution for every window well scenario, our customers are no less inventive. In the case of “Square Well – Semi-Circle Bubble Cover,” there is a solution.

Our customer made it work by flipping the bubble over so the flange of the cover fit over the opening. See Photo 3 below.

Photo 3: Inverted Bubble Cover Installation

Please keep in mind three things:  

  1. When used this way, the unflanged portion of your bubble may not fit snugly against the foundation wall. 
  2. Odds are you will have to perform a reverse attachment. Instead of securing the cover to the foundation wall (typical for most bubble well covers), you will have to attach it to the well surface.
  3. Our bubbles come in 15”, 20”, and 24” heights, so measure your well first before you purchase! 

Talk to our Experts at 1-888-650-9355 if you have any questions. 

Also, keep in mind that we specialize in custom-engineering any cover in any shape & size you can imagine (and then some). If bubble cover is not your perfect fit, we can offer a variety of window well cover designs that will make you one happy homeowner!