How Can I Prevent Leaking Window Wells?

If you want to protect your property from leaks, dampness, and water damage there are a few things that you can do to keep your window wells healthy and in good working order. They are:

Prevent Perimeter Saturation

Perimeter saturation is one of the things that is highly likely to damage your property in one way or another. Whether it causes excessive hydrostatic pressure and leads to bowing walls in your basement, or it damages your basement window wells, foundation and perimeter saturation is something to worry about. Thankfully, it is also easy to avoid.

All you need to do is invest in decent drainage systems. Keeping your roof gutters and downspouts free from debris (and angled toward the street), for example, can have a huge impact on the amount of water pooling by your home. Investing in high-quality perimeter drains can further protect your home by gathering water that escapes your gutters and whisking it away.

Invest in a Window Well Cover

Basement windows need window wells to ensure that natural light can get into windows set below ground level. Of course, window wells are vulnerable to flooding, especially if they have minimal drainage and no protection from the climate. This can lead to many different kinds of damage, from worn or damaged sealant to a damaged window frame.

Whatever the nature of the damage, the most likely outcome is that water will start to leak into your basement. This can cause a huge number of problems inside your property, from mold and mildew formation to wood rot and pest infestation. In fact, leaking window wells can even cause floors to sag by damaging the joists that support them.