Are Window Wells a Good Idea?

Now that the days are getting cooler, it’s hard to ignore that winter is definitely on its way to the Burlington and Hamilton area.

With winter’s darkness also arriving, you may be looking for ways to bring more light into your house. Window wells may be just what you’re looking for – but it’s important to know all the facts before deciding for sure.

What Are Window Wells?

A window well is a solid barrier around a basement window positioned via a semi-circular excavation.

Constructed out of metal, masonry, plastic, or wood, window wells can be great for allowing more light into a dark basement. However, they can cause some problems if they’re not properly installed and maintained.

Potential Problems Created by Window Wells

While this may seem like an inconvenience for some homeowners, window wells have to be cleaned often since they are prone to fill up with leaves, small critters, and/or debris.

There is the potential for a bigger problem, too – water damage. As one may expect, windows are not designed to be completely leak-proof. If they’re not draining properly, you could end up having water leak into your basement. This could eventually lead to damaged drywall, flooring, or even foundation problems.

Solving Common Window Well Problems

One of the easiest ways to prevent any problems caused by your window wells is to ensure you’re completing proper maintenance. This means regularly inspecting and cleaning them before too much debris accumulates.

To reduce the amount of cleaning required, consider purchasing window well bubbles. Found at your local hardware store, these crystal-clear barriers can typically bear up to 150 pounds of static weight while preventing animals, debris, snow, and rain from entering your window wells.

If you do end up noticing your window wells are not draining correctly, it may be time to call in a professional for some help.

The Bottom Line: Are Window Wells a Good Idea?

Knowing whether window wells are a great investment depends on the homeowner, you ask. Regardless, they must be properly maintained and cared for to reap their benefits.

How Conterra Foundations Can Help

Conterra Foundations is your go-to company in the Burlington and Hamilton area for window wells and other foundation issues.

If your window wells are not draining properly, we can easily retrofit suitable drainage. To start, we would dig a hole from the window well to the weeping tile (located on the outside of your house). Instead of leaking through your window, water would then flow from the window well through a PVC drain out. After the drain out starts working, liquid rubber would be used on the entire space.

If a more in-depth procedure is needed to resolve your window well problem, we can handle that, too. Here at Conterra Foundations, we have been installing window wells and drains since 1993. If you are having any window well issues or would like one installed, contact us for a free inspection and quote.