For many properties, window wells are an essential feature. They’re designed to allow natural light into the lower levels of a home, enable air to circulate properly, and provide an escape route out of the basement in the event of an emergency.
Given the nature of these key pieces of infrastructure, they require careful maintenance to function properly. They’re also an area that’s prime for the accumulation of dirt, so if you want to keep the exterior of your home aesthetically pleasing, you’ll need to take care to clean your window wells.
In this short article, you’ll learn about a few key elements for ensuring this part of your house functions properly.
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Keeping the Space Clean
Window well installation won’t necessarily account for long-term cleanliness, so one of the most important first steps is keeping up with regular cleaning.
A window well is a prime target for the collection of leaves, twigs, soil, and other natural (and unnatural) debris, and when this mess is covering the entrance, natural light is reduced, and mold can start to form.
Raking away debris and cleaning the windows once every couple of weeks is a great start, but it’s also wise to invest in a window well cover to prevent build-up and reduce the cleaning frequency.
Ensuring Proper Water Flow
Maintaining your window well isn’t just about the immediate area but also what surrounds the structure.
For example, you need to make sure water is flowing properly around the well, as poor grading (improper sloping) and a buildup of debris can cause damp and drainage issues. This can eventually trickle down to affect the foundation of your property, which could become a serious structural issue.
You can test the water drainage yourself by taking a watering can or a large jug and pouring a small amount of water around the area. If the water doesn’t drain away at all, you have a problem, and you should call a professional to come and take a look for you.
Inspecting the Surrounding Wall for Structural Integrity
Finally, it’s important to take a look at the surrounding wall. Window wells are built directly into your property, after all, so they’re not isolated components.
Assess the area for any signs of damage, such as cracks, swelling, or rust, and check wooden parts for wood rot. Areas where water flows over should be correctly sealed, and crumbling bits will likely need to be patched up with suitable plaster or filler (you may need to call a plasterer to do the job properly).
Regular maintenance should prevent these issues, but if the wall gets damaged, it’s critical to act fast; this sort of problem can extend into the wall rather than being confined to the surface exterior, so nip it in the bud early.
Wrapping Up
Hopefully, you now feel you have a better idea of how to properly maintain your window well. It shouldn’t take a great deal of effort to keep things clean and functional, and it’ll prevent some very expensive repair jobs from ever being something you have to deal with.
