April showers bring May flower…unless your basement isn’t waterproof. Then those April showers can leave you with hundreds of dollars’ worth of water damage and mold remediation. If you do anything this spring, make sure you waterproof your basement. There are a few different ways to do this, here’s how…

Proper Window Well Drainage

One easy way to make sure your basement stays waterproof is to make sure your window well drainage system is working properly. Over time, the drainage system can get bogged down with sticks, leaves, or other debris. This makes it hard for your drainage system to properly move and keep water away from your basement windows. Without a working drainage system, you may even get water pooling outside your windows!

You remove debris from your gutters and downspouts, but how can you do the same for your window wells? The answer is simple… by adding window well covers!

A window well cover, whether a standard grate or a clear window well cover, will keep debris out of your window wells. A clear cover, like the ones offered from Windowell Expressions, can actually help keep some precipitation and snow out of your window well in the first place.

This is one of the easiest and affordable ways to keep your basement waterproof. Contact Windowell Expressions today to keep those April showers where they belong – in your garden!

Solutions from the Inside

Another way to deal with water issues is from the inside. If you’re unable to keep water from entering your home, or you want a backup system in place, installing a pump is a great idea. To do this, you’ll want a professional to help make a sump (or a pit) in your basement floor where flood or rain water can gather. Then, a pump is installed in this pit that will then pump the water out of the sump, out of your home, and despot it somewhere on your properly where it won’t run back toward the house.

If you need a simple interior fix, you can find concrete or silicate-based sealers that you can apply to your foundation walls to keep the water out.

If you’re worried about keeping mold or mildew out of your basement, an acrylic-based waterproofing paint is also a great option.

Exterior Seal

A more intense solution is to seal your exterior foundation. This will probably be more of a last-ditch effort (if it’s not done during construction) because it is intrusive and expensive. To do this you’ll need to hire a professional that will come and remove the ground away from your home to expose the footings.

The surface is cleaned and prepped before applying a waterproof membrane. It’s an expensive, but once done you can expect protection for your home for at least 20 years. As an added bonus the waterproof membrane can also help improve the structural support of your home.

Many homes have window well covers. If yours doesn’t or it’s time to replace them, you may be wondering if it’s worth it. Not only do you want them to be functional, but if you’re going to spend time and money installing window well covers you want to make sure it will be worthwhile! We have good news for you. Here are three ways that adding window well covers can increase the value of a home.

Improve the Look

Right off the bat, you can expect your window well covers to improve the look of your window wells and the outside of your home. Let’s face it, when it comes to the value of your home in the eyes of potential buyers (or even lookey-loos from the curb), appearance is everything. Function aside, you can choose several attractive window well covers from Windowell Expressions.
First, you have standard grate covers. They are the most traditional window well cover, and are very attractive while being cost effective. You really can’t go wrong with a grate cover.
Windowell Expressions also offers a clear window well cover which is a great way to improve the look of your home. They are a great choice because they don’t distract from your home; a clear cover offers plenty of light while offering a clear and clean look.

Protect from Damage

When you have window well covers installed over your window wells, you are not only increasing the aesthetics, but you are also protecting your home from damage. Window well covers, particularly clear covers, can help keep water out of your basement. And everyone knows that water damage can be one of the most frustrating and costly types of damage you can deal with. Window well covers will also keep people, animals, and even pests out and away from your basement. You can keep your window well’s drainage system clean and working properly by keeping debris and garbage out of your window well too. Again, this is achieved by installing a window well cover! The protection your cover will give you will benefit the overall value of your home by avoiding damage and unnecessary maintenance.

If you already have window wells that are weathered or damaged, you can easily increase the value of your home simply by replacing them with a new cover. And with a new cover, you’ll of course be getting all of the added protection listed above.

Keeping up to Code

If you want to make your home move valuable by adding a bedroom or office space to the basement, you’ll have to make sure it passes inspection. Egress windows are necessary in basements in order to pass code. Having a window well cover over your egress window will comply with codes because it is easily opened from the inside for a quick escape if necessary. But at the same time, your window well cover can serve as a barrier for intruders too!

If you are interested in increasing the value of your home by installing a window well cover, contact Windowell Expressions today!