Can Window Wells Cause Flooding?

Having window wells in the foundation of your Niagara home can make a huge difference in terms of letting natural light and ventilation into your basement and making your space more enjoyable. Unfortunately, window wells are also a breach in your foundation which can cause flooding.

There are some steps that you can take, however, to prevent this from happening.

How to prevent window wells from flooding

When window wells are properly designed and installed, they will be the right size for the window. The well is securely bolted to the foundation walls and will have a drain to help divert water into the drain tile system or away from home.

If any of these features are missing, or if something is interfering with them, then there is a good chance that the window well will flood. It is unusual for a window well to be the wrong size. Provided that the window well liner is wide enough that it is attached to the foundation and not the window, and as long as the well extends high enough above ground level, there shouldn’t be an issue.

Detached Window Well Liner

In some cases, however, the liner may become detached from the foundation. This can happen because of improper installation or if the fasteners become corroded or rusted. If this happens, pressure from the soil can cause a gap between the line and the foundation, and water can force its way in between.

To fix a detached Window Well Liner will require digging around the well to reinstall or replace the liner. This is well worth the effort to prevent flooding.

Clogged Window Well Drain

By far, the most common reason for a window well to flood is a clogged drain. Sometimes this happens due to sloppy construction work, but more often, it happens because leaves, soil, and other debris build up inside the well, eventually blocking the drain and giving the water nowhere to run off to.

Preventing clogged drains

The easiest way to prevent window well drains from clogging is to install a window well cover so debris, snow, and rain cannot get into the well in the first place.

You can purchase window well covers at your local home improvement store, or for a more durable option and a better fit, you can get custom-made covers. These will provide protection for the window well, which will also serve to protect your basement as it will lessen the risk of flooding.

Regardless of if you have a window well cover or not, you should inspect your window wells in the Spring and Fall seasons every year and remove any leaves, debris or litter that may have gotten trapped inside.

Contact Foundation Fix today.

If you are experiencing issues with your foundation flooding, whether it be because of a faulty window well or something else, we can help. Call us today to get an assessment from one of our foundation experts.