Is your window well filling with water? What do you do?
Let’s figure out why your window well is flooding in the first place. Answer these simple questions before you go any further!
- Do you have proper drainage in place?
- If you have a drain, is it possible that the drain is clogged?
- Do you have a window well cover?
- Is the cover installed in the proper way to prevent water from getting into your well?
Once you determine what is causing the problem, you can choose which solution is right for you. Here are a few options that will help you solve this issue.
WHAT DO I DO WHEN MY WINDOW WELL IS FLOODED?
Even in the best of times, your preventive measures might fail. Then, quick reaction and speedy execution might mean the difference between a costly renovation and simply airing out your basement.
Remove Flood Water
Once the worst has happened, you have no time to fret. You need a pump to drain the water as soon as the weather conditions allow it. Depending on numerous factors but mostly on the quality of your window well, basement window and foundation insulation, you can use a wet/dry vacuum to remove the water or rent a pump to siphon off the water in your well.
In some cases, however, you will need to consult with professionals to get the water removed. Especially, if the fluids have penetrated your basement.
Remember, you need to act quickly before the mold sets in.
Inspect the Damage
Once the water is gone, you need to review the damage that has been inflicted on your home. In the best-case scenario, you will only have to pump water out of your well. Once done, you need to check the bottom of the well. Typically, a sludge of dirt and gravel forms there. It clogs the drainage holes and prevents water from safely exiting your well.
Once you remove the drain clog, you can start figuring out how the flood started.
MAKE SURE YOUR WINDOW WELL HAS PROPER DRAINAGE
Some newer homes have window well drains tied to the drainage tiles located either inside of the building. Most often, however, the drain goes out to the outside of the basement wall. If your window well does not have a drain system, this is the first and foremost issue you need to address.
What is a window well drain?
As with other drains, here we are talking about a system that allows excess water (most likely from heavy rain) to exit the premises without creating a flood hazard in your basement. There are several ways to add a drain system:
- connecting it to an interior drain tile,
- attaching it to an exterior drain tile,
- taking advantage of the natural slope of the terrain (if it runs downwards from the base of the house)
IMPORTANT: Installing a window well drain is no simple feat. Please, consult professionals.
You have a window well drain? That’s always a good sign!
What to Do if Your Window Well is Filling with Water Because of a Clogged Drain?
One of the most common reasons for a properly installed well to flood your basement is a clogged drain. Not maintaining the window well drain properly can cause it to clog up. Remove any debris from the opening of the drain such as grass, trash, leaves, and weeds.
If the opening of the drain isn’t the problem, the issue could be underground. When this is the case, a professional may need to be involved.
In some cases, installing a completely new window well drain system may be a more cost-effective option. Whether the current drain can be fixed or a new one is needed, make sure you add cleaning the window well drains to your home maintenance list!
Another way to keep debris from coming in and clogging the window well is getting a properly fitting window well cover.
CUSTOM WINDOW WELL COVERS
The easiest way to keep your window well drain unclogged is by installing a quality window well cover. It will prevent excessive water, debris, and even small animals from getting into your window well and causing problems.
For this cover, you will need to make sure that it fits your window well exactly for a proper seal.
No matter what size your well is, we have a cover to match it!
Our covers are tailored to fit many different wells such as metal, plastic, stone, wood, concrete, or composite. This gives you peace of mind knowing that water won’t be collecting inside the well.
All our covers are made to last – all our designs come with an extended warranty. The sloped, flat and bubble covers actually have a LIFETIME WARRANTY.
You also don’t have to stress about the cover turning yellow from the sun. Our covers are made with virtually unbreakable Polycarbonate and are treated with a UV film to prevent this!
To accommodate any well, we have numerous cover designs for you to choose from:
- ✅ low-profile covers for unobtrusive protection
- ✅ dome-style covers for larger wells that need a steeper slope to lead the water away from the base of the house. They are also the perfect solution for casement or crank-out basement windows that open into the well.
- ✅ custom solutions for more “unusual” cases.
- ✅ metal grates for wells in high-traffic areas or where non-stop air ventilation is required
- ✅ combination covers – plastic on the top, aluminum mesh on the sides for a best-of-both-worlds solution to your window well-flooding problem.
How To Keep Your Window Wells from Filling Up with Water
- 1. Make sure your well is installed by professionals and has a proper drainage system.
- 2. Clean your drains often, small items like leaves and garbage find their way down the drain and can cause clogging!
- 3. To keep your window well dry, make sure to look into a window well cover that fits your well perfectly.
- 4. Invest in a quality basement window, too. If push comes to shove, you need to be certain that your basement window and well will withstand the water pressure until you can get a pump to drain the water.
