The answer is yes, your window wells definitely need to be attached to the foundation of your home.
How do you anchor a window well?
Secure the Well with Screws
Use masonry anchors with a diameter of 3/8 inches and a length of 1 7/8 inches to screw your window well into the pilot holes. To do this, you’ll need to remove the nuts from the anchor sleeve. You don’t need any tools for that, as the nuts should simply unscrew from the sleeves.
What do you put at the bottom of a window well?
The bottom of the well should contain loose gravel, which also helps with drainage. This should not be allowed to become too compacted or it will also cause water to collect in the well. You can either replace gravel periodically or remove it and clean it before putting it back in place.
Do you need to cover basement window wells?
Why Get a Window Well Cover? Anyone with below-ground egress windows with window wells should protect them with window well covers. The potential danger to children and animals falling into a window well is serious, and the concerns of wild animals taking shelter in a window well aren’t unfounded.
When should you install a window well?
Quick answer: If you have a basement window that is fully or partially below grade, you will need a window well to prevent leaking and help bring in light. If the basement window is in a habitable room, then you will need a window well and window that conforms to IRC Building Code emergency egress requirements.
Should I put rocks in my window well?
After digging out the hole to install your well, you fill it with gravel or broken rock chunks to support the window well itself, improve drainage and prevent damaging frost heaves in the winter. The same gravel or rock is used as a base of the floor inside the egress well.
Do all window wells need a drain?
Window Well Drain – Every window well should have a drain to allow water to exit the window well and not build to a level that creates a basement seepage problem. Drains can be connected to interior or exterior drain tile or can be run to daylight where a proper slope exists.
Should I put pea gravel in my window wells?
For valid product warranty, Window Wells must be installed with the Marflex installation kit and in accordance with the current Marflex installation instructions. Use pea gravel or ¾ inch or smaller free-draining rock, around the well stopping approximately 1 foot down from the top of the window well.
Do basement window wells have drains?
“Typically window wells have a drain that is connected to the foundation drainage system or drains to daylight somewhere in the yard,” Dennison said. “Over time that drain could become clogged and could possibly need to be cleaned out.”
How do I keep water out of my basement window wells?
Here’s what you can do to keep as much water away from your house as possible:
- Fix grading to make sure it slopes away from the foundation.
- Keep your gutters clear of debris and in good working condition. …
- Extend downspouts away from the house to keep roof runoff from pouring next to the foundation.
Why do basements have window wells?
to prevent moisture damage to basement windows that are at or below grade. The window wells keep the soil away from openings in the foundation walls while still allowing proper grading and drainage away from the house; and. to allow sunlight into a below-grade room that would otherwise require artificial lighting.
How do you attach a basement window well cover?
Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: Peel away the protective film slightly to reveal each hole. Place the included mounting bracket in screw through each hole and tighten the nut with your fingers.
How much should a window well cost?
Egress Well, Ladder and Cover Cost
Egress Window Wells themselves can range from $200 and up, depending on the material used. Pre-manufactured window wells can range from $200-$1500 and custom retaining wall block installations start at $1500. Egress Well Ladder can range from $50-$200 depending on size and materials.
How much gravel should be in the bottom of a window well?
A common method to help with window well drainage is to place several inches of gravel at the bottom. This will allow the water to dissipate into the ground slowly to the weeping tile system, rather than sit in the soil next to the window.
