Your window well can play an integral role in preventing basement and foundation leaks from snow packs, and it can discourage melting snow from creeping into your home’s lower levels.
Leaks aren’t always sudden, and they’re not always from a hard downpour. They can also appear after snow is left to sit along your home’s foundation, slowly melting over the winter months. Fortunately, quality window well liners and covers can do an incredible job of preventing winter leaks and water damage.
Your window well liners should be expertly installed and properly maintained, particularly in snowy and wet months. Can you recall the last time your liner was inspected? If not, it should top your winter to-do list.
A window well cover can make a huge difference. They come in two primary types — grates and clear — and the best type for your home depends on snowfall, well location and how likely you are to regularly clean them out. Clear covers can provide a veritable seal against snow and sleet, but if they’re not high quality, they can do more harm than good.
Watching Trouble Zones
A home with a basement is at a greater risk of leaking. Basement windows are highly desirable, as they provide natural light to an otherwise dark part of the home. However, windows and window wells come with an inherent risk, particularly at ground level.
To prevent snow and water pooling right against your windows and foundation, make sure the soil is graded down and away from the home. Downspouts from the roof should also steer water toward an area that won’t pool.
If a downspout pours directly into a well, it should be repaired immediately. Insufficiently graded soil near your wells can also cause problems. Your technician may need to collaborate with your roofer and landscaper to make sure excess water and melted snow is directed away from the home.
Homeowner TLC
Depending on where you live, it might also be necessary to regularly sweep snow away from key parts of your home. Regular roof brushings, clearing snow away from window wells and making sure snow isn’t gathering in gutters are all part of routine winter maintenance. This is especially true for homeowners with grated covers on window wells. Along with snow, debris such as fallen leaves can gather and lead to leaks and even mold, come spring.
Window well liners and covers are your best defense against window well and lower window leak threats. Re-lining wells is a great spring project, but with regular maintenance, your wells should be up to the task of keeping you safe through the winter. Depend on Windowell Expressions to keep your window well safe and your design impeccable.