Table of Contents
How do you install a egress window well?
Step 1: Select an Egress Well location. Step 2: Purchase an Egress Well. Step 3: Mark a centerline and dig the hole. Step 4: Install the Egress Window. Step 5: Drain Pipe Installation. Step 6: Well Bottom Preparation. Step 7: Setting the Egress Window Well. Step 8: Backfilling the Window Well.
How deep should a egress window well be?
To meet egress window requirements, the window well should be 64 inches wide by 36 inches in projection and between 3 to 5 feet deep (based on how far above/below grade the window will sit). For aesthetic purposes, it’s best to center the egress window in the window well.
Do window wells need drains?
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.
How do you drain an egress window well?
The Bottom of the Egress Window Well Excavate the bottom of the window well to the foundation level and fill the excavation with crushed rock. The rock allows water to flow down draining away from the egress window. The crushed rock has an attractive appearance in the base of the egress window well.
Does an egress window need a header?
You do need a header. Its size will be predicated on the width of your house, though, so you haven’t provided sufficient information to answer your question.
What do you do with basement window wells?
Spruce up your Existing Well 1 Hang Plants. Hanging plants from your existing egress window well can go a long way towards increasing your view. 2 Decorate. Many people simply overlook their egress window as a place where they can decorate. 3 Plant Flowers.
Should I put rocks in my window well?
There isn’t really a minimum level of rocks in your window well, but the levels should be appropriate given the depth of it (and going deep is always better). However, the window well should definitely not be overfilled. This increases the risk of flooding and windows breakage.
How much pea gravel do I need for a window well?
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. Backfilling by hand, start at the farthest area from the foundation, evenly distributing the stone as you fill.
How do you keep window wells from filling up with water?
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.
Should window wells be covered?
At Window Well Experts, we recommend that all window wells be fitted with a proper cover. When you look at the benefits of window wells, almost all of them require a sturdy, leak-proof cover in order to achieve their fullest benefit.
What should window wells be filled with?
Fill the Well with Gravel Pour a two to three-inch layer of gravel at the bottom of the window well. Use your shovel to pack the gravel down and shift it around if it isn’t properly even. If the gravel reaches your windowsill, it’s too high.
How long does it take to put in an egress window?
How long does it take to install an egress window? Your egress window project will take a total of 3 days start to finish. The first day is excavation, the second day is when the foundation is cut, the window is installed and all other major work is complete.
Should you cover egress window?
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.
Why is my egress window leaking?
Many homes suffer leakage as a result of flooding of their window wells. This is mostly because they failed to install a central drain. Ensure that you install a central drain that is connected either to the storm water drain or the drain tile system to prevent flooding of the window well.
How do I measure my egress window?
Egress Window Size – How to Measure: Measure from the maximum grade level (ground level) down to the floor level of the basement. Subtract 28″ from dimension A to get the minimum required height of the Egress Window Well.
Can you put mulch in window wells?
Surrounding Your Window Wells Many people choose to surround their wells with grass, but because a properly covered well will keep debris away from your basement window, mulch, gravel, and rocks are all viable choices.
How do you landscape a window well?
How to Landscape Around Window Wells Plant deciduous shrubs around the perimeter of the window well, spaced at least 12 inches away from the sides of the well. Build a planter with landscaping pavers on one or both sides of the window well to pull the eye up toward the planters and away from the window well.
