Window Well Water Intrusion Solutions for Egress Window

[Kyle Doney]

I have a window well that doesn't have a cover on it and I want to keep water out of the window well. When we had a storm the other week, I had some water seep in because of how fast the rain came down (first time in 3 years since I owned the house). It caused it to pool at the bottom of the window well and seeped in and soak my carpet. I had to replace carpet pad and it was a total hassle. 

The problem with getting a well cover is that the window is taller than the hole, so putting a cover over it wont allow the egress window to open in case of an emergency, thus creating the same type of liability issue with allowing a tenant to sleep in a downstairs room with an egress. 

I could put a statement/ warning in my lease banning using the room as a bedroom, but as a finished basement, tenants will still want to sleep down there as its the largest bedroom in the house and has a bathroom. It could also effect the marketability of the property and rent I get on the house.  Anyone have any solutions to this issue?

[Parker Fairfield]

an awning with some sort of removable clips (where it attaches to the house) - so that it wouldn't block egress ....

A picture would help

[Kyle Doney]

It's the back of a brick house and a window well. So if it rained sideways or anything it would still run in, even with an awning. 

[Luc Boiron]

Where is the water coming in from? Did too much water get in the window well from the rain and it flowed over the window sill? This might be because the window well was never properly installed and run into the weeping tile around the footings, or it could be that it have gotten a little clogged over the years with dirt. It's a lot of work to dig that out so definitely not a first choice.

If the ground slopes towards the window well, it's possible that in heavy rain the water flows towards the window well and then gets in to it. If that's the case, you would want to grade the earth around it to make sure the water runs away from it.

One of the main reasons I see for water to get into basements if grading. Make sure the earth slopes away from this area. Also, make sure downspouts run at least 4' away from your house, so the water doesn't sit against the foundation.

There are many types of window wells, and there may be some that work for you. For example, there is the bubble kind:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Shape-Products-42-in-x-...

That might work in your case. Instead of screwing it into the brick where you are blocking off access to the egress, it could be mounted with a hinge at the top so it flips up, or simply lean a brick against it so it can be pushed away easily. This would keep rain out of the window well.

So really, there are many solutions, but they will depend on how the rain is getting in to the house and window well, and how the window and well are set up. Some pictures would help.

Good luck!

[Steve Babiak]

A drain at the bottom, with pipes going to a sump pump to eject the water away from the structure. 

[Jim Adrian]

Was this a normal rain or something above normal?  Did they leave the window open and blame it as a leak?

Google "egress window well drainage"  and look at the images as well.   I would make sure there is about good 12" to 24" of crushed rock at the bottom of the window well for drainage.  Makes sure the rock stops about 6" - 8" from the window sill. Like @Luc Boiron said there are a variety of things to look at.   Next time pull the carpet back and put a fan on it to dry it out vs replacing it.   Post a picture as this may help. 

[Kyle Doney]

@Luc Boiron The well is on the back patio, so the concrete is graded away from the house. This was the first time in 3 years since owning the house. We just had a crazy storm that dumped a ton of water very quickly, which caused the well to fill up a few inches. Its unlikely it will happen again anytime soon, but if we do happen to get another crazy storm, I want to be prepared. 

It came through the window a little bit it looked like, but most seemed to have ran down the foundation wall where the well is and then come in on the concrete floor. I looked at Home Depot at those plastic coverings, but none are the right size for the well hole. Not screwing it in to the wall and letting it sit is a solution. 

@Jim Adrian It was definitely a once in a while storm with heavy rainfall very quickly. Window was closed, AC was on. Looked like most came in through the well hole and down the foundation wall. Crushed rock is a good idea. 

[Jim Adrian]

If you have a sump pump and drain tile you can dig down to this and install a drain pipe to this.  You could burry the drain under some of the rock but you must put landscape fabric over the top to keep it from getting clogged by the rocks or dirt. 

[Kimberly H.]

Look for a company that just does window well covers. We have one in Chicago, they have all different sizes and shapes, much better selection and quality than Home Depot.