Monthly Archives: December 2015

Window Well Design For The Holidays

Window Well Design For The Holidays

Is your window well ready for the holidays?

Some homeowners like to incorporate their window wells into their holiday decorative scheme, especially if they have a one that’s featured in a common area like the living room or kitchen. While it’s never recommended that you use your window well for storage, it can be a great place to decorate for the short term.

Think holiday window stickers and faux snow instead of actually putting items (like garlands or outdoor lights) inside the well.

Your window well is a source of light, and you don’t want to give any of it up during the short winter days. Plus, even though liners are designed to withstand the elements, the area should still be kept clear to prevent mold and bacteria growth.

Continue cleaning your window wells during the winter months, even if that means removing snow on a regular basis. If you’re struggling with this, that might be an indicator it’s time to switch to a sealed clear cover instead of a grate.

Windows: Well for the Holidays

Windows can provide a great frame for your holiday festivities. Some people hang extra stockings from them, while others consider them musts for garland, lights and ornaments. A window well unit is a prime focal point, especially if you have a liner that already has a holiday-appropriate design such as red brick or stones. You can even include messages secured to the liner, as long as the banners are designed for outdoor use.

Even better, if you have children in the home who are eager to hear reindeer hooves on the roof, but you don’t have a chimney, Santa is more than happy to bring in goodies via the window well.

Holiday Travel Prep

Many Americans travel during the holidays, perhaps even renting out their home in the process. However, burglars know this all too well. Window wells can be a primary entry point for a burglary attempt because they naturally provide cover for thieves. Fortunately, you can help prevent this.

For starters, choose a covering that’s secure and that only homeowners can access. That alone will thwart the vast majority of burglars.

Secondly, ensure your well area is well lit, not covered by vegetation and that the window it leads to is locked and secure. Ultimately, it shouldn’t be easier to get into this window than any other in your home. You can reinforce the glass with a film, add a sturdier lock, and of course remember to check that the lock is actually engaged before going on your trip.

Call Windowell Expressions today to get a new liner for the holidays or otherwise get your window well holiday-ready.

 

Keep Animals Safe with Window Well Covers

Keep Animals Safe with Window Well Covers

Window well covers do so much more than keep debris, snow and muck out of your window wells. They’re also a literal lifesaver, even if you don’t have children in the home.

A number of animals get caught in window wells every year, and it’s because the window wells are not covered or the covers are ill-maintained.

Pet owners will want to ensure their cats and dogs are safe when exploring their own land. If you have livestock such as chickens, goats, sheep or even larger animals, window well covers can help safeguard your them, and in some cases your livelihood!

A livestock animal that stumbles into a window well and breaks a bone (or worse) can lead to a devastating loss. Window well covers are the only protection unknowing animals have against taking a tumble.

One Big, Happy Family

In some cases, animals might be more alert than humans (and spot a hole in the ground more easily). However, keep in mind that sometimes window well openings can be difficult to see. This happens at night, in areas that aren’t well-lit, or if debris covers much of the window well.

Area wildlife may like to take adventures on your property, too, including deer, elk, squirrels and opossums, any of which might also stumble into your window well.

Depending on the type of animals that roam your yard, you might be better off with a clear cover than a grate. Smaller animals, like kittens and squirrels, can still fall through some window well grate coverings. If this is a concern, or if you live in a wooded area, a clear cover is probably the best bet. As an added bonus, a sealed clear cover ensures that not a speck of dirt, debris or snow will enter your window well either.

However, it is of course easy for these to get covered with debris or snow. If you go with a clear cover, make sure you check it weekly (or daily during storm season) to make sure it’s cleaned off.

Animal Safety

Prioritizing the health and safety of animals, including those that aren’t your own, is a great thing to do. You get karma points, but you’re also making sure that you won’t have to call animal control, a veterinarian or even a professional to remove a carcass if an animal gets trapped for too long or is injured in the fall.

And don’t forget about that other animal: Humans. Just because you don’t have kids in your home doesn’t mean neighborhood kids won’t take to exploring your property.

By nature, window wells can be dangerous if they’re not maintained. Luckily, it doesn’t take much time, effort or expense to make this part of your property as safe as can be. Contact Windowell Expressions for fantastic window well covering options that fit any budget.