Window wells are cut into the ground next to house foundations to bring light and ventilation into basements. That makes sense because most basements are dark and damp. But the name “window well” is a tip-off to potential problems: a well that collects water next to the foundation — the last place you want more water — and worse yet. a well with a window below ground.
Pros and cons
On the positive side, windows recessed into the top of a foundation let in light and make basements less dingy. And opening units (typically tilt-in hoppers) can be screened to provide pest-free ventilation. There should be no problems (and no need for window wells) if the masonry foundation extends several feet above grade. But many foundations top out close to ground level so you don’t need more than a step or two to reach the first floor and the building looks settled on the site.
In those cases, window wells can become hard-to-clean holes that fill with snow, leaves, water and sometimes animals that can’t get out. To keep the well clear, you’ll probably need a cover, which can be costly, kill any ventilation, create oven-like temperatures in full sun and reduce light transmission.
But all that may pale next to drainage problems unless the well has an outlet, and most don’t. Sometimes a basic drain is installed to funnel water down to the foundation footing drains. That’s a very iffy fix because to avoid basement leaks water should be directed away from the building, not toward weak links at the base of the foundation.
But it’s disruptive and expensive to excavate several drainage trenches for window wells that slope away to a safe release point. That’s why most wells have only a few inches of gravel in the bottom. If there is more rain than that marginal catch basin can handle, the well becomes a pool and the window becomes a dam (or drain) to that big hole in the ground called your basement.
You can improve the situation by digging deeper and adding what several window-well manufacturers recommend: 12 inches of gravel at the bottom and also around the outside of the retaining wall that forms the well. Sloping the ground away from the well also helps.
Basic wells
Half circles of corrugated, galvanized steel — like a section of Quonsethut — are often used to hold back dirt outside a window well.
After excavating, simply set the shell against the foundation, bolt through the flanges into the building and backfill. A typical unit is 22-gauge or thicker with a rolled edge for safety against cuts, 36 inches long (projecting 18 inches from the wall), and 24 inches deep. Some suppliers sell wells like this in packs of five for about $100.
Thicker, plastic versions are more expensive, but some are stackable to form deep wells. Building departments typically do not have special codes about standard window wells. But that changes if the well has to qualify as an escape route.
Escape wells
Every habitable area requires two escape routes in case of fire. It’s a fundamental safety provision based not on the room you need to get out but on the space needed for a fireman wearing full equipment to get in and save you.
Is your basement habitable? Check with your building department to be sure, but the space may not require a second exit (aside from first floor stairs) if the structure is raw and utilities are exposed. It probably does require one if the surfaces are finished and there are closets and furniture. Any separate room even remotely like a bedroom makes it habitable.
Building that second exit is often the costly snag in otherwise straightforward basement remodeling projects. Cutting through foundation block or poured concrete is not a standard do-it-yourself job. But enlarging a foundation vent window is often the easiest way to meet codes. They control the type and size of emergency egress windows and, typically, require the windowsill leading to the escape well to be no more than 44 inches off the floor.
Several well designs will qualify once you get past the opening. For instance, deep corrugated wells can be fitted with code-approved ladders. The Bilco Co. ( www.bilco.com), known mainly for exterior cellar access doors, offers a more finished looking, preformed unit called the Scapewel Window Well (about $600 to $800 depending on size). Its preformed sections snap together on site to create a large well with terraced steps built into its outside wall.
