Window Well Drainage

Today's construction practices typically mandate the installation of window well drains. A window well drain channels water accumulated in a window well to the weeping tile installed along the footing which will drain to a sump pump installed in the basement, or to the storm sewer beneath your street.

When a window well is not installed, or if the window well drain is clogged, or if the stone in the window well is too high relative to the window frame, water will pool in the window well and pour into your basement between the window frame and the top of wall or through the window itself – as if you had an aquarium in your window well! These conditions can introduce a substantial amount of water into your basement very rapidly.

In this next picture, close to the window frame, you can see an old clay drain pipe that no longer provides adequate window well drainage.

When the wall is exposed you typically notice soil staining beneath the window frame. Note that, in this case, window well drainage was not the only problem, there was also a crack at the window corner that was leaking.

It is clear that what appeared to be a single leak actually involved two separate leaks. This situation exemplifies the importance of looking at the bare foundation wall to ascertain the cause(s) of water ingress.

To address window well drainage issues a new window well drain must be installed. Window well drains can be installed the old fashioned way (excavation to the footing) or (using our new method involving augering). In both cases, a drain pipe is installed which drains into the gravel layer surrounding the weeping tile.

A proper window well drain installation looks like this:

Recommended Window Well Maintenance

A window well drain is very similar to the drain in your kitchen sink, if it is plugged, the water will not drain. For window wells, water must be able to enter the gravel layer and make its way to the drain; if leaves and other debris accumulate in the window well, thus preventing rain water from draining through the gravel layer, the water will pool and the window well drain will be of little value. If the water pools, the water will eventually rise until it pours into your basement right through the windows! Keeping the gravel layer free of debris is an absolute must.