this will end well

September 4, 2009 7:58 AM

[Renovation DIY filter] I need to install window wells for my basement windows. Is a drain really necessary or can I get away just by filling it with gravel?

Few more details. This is in Qc, Canada, so lots of snow in the winter. The window sills are pretty much at ground level (perhaps 2-3" above). We have a french drain around the foundation, leading to a sump pump. I'd like to get away without drains going away from foundations because they would have to be quite long to end up in a lower terrain (about 50'), thus requiring machinery and huge trenches...

Can I put a vertical drain going all the way to the french drain? Is this a recommended method, or should I just dig a hole and fill it with gravel? How would I "cap" this drain?

posted by ddaavviidd to home & garden (7 comments total)

If the sills are at or above grade, why do you need wells at all?
posted by jon1270 at 8:40 AM on September 4

Snow accumulation around windows caused some leaks last spring. I just bought the house, so I want to fix the problem.
posted by ddaavviidd at 9:05 AM on September 4

Just a quick background question, are you renovating your basement and need to install the wells to comply with emergency exit requirements? Otherwise, I'd ask the same question jon1270 did.
posted by electroboy at 9:05 AM on September 4

No, there are plenty of other exits, it really is just to prevent water damage. It has been recommended both by the inspector and by houseowning-friends.
posted by ddaavviidd at 9:16 AM on September 4

A technique around here is to use a sloped plexiglass cover to keep snow away from the window and out of the well. If the sills are above grade, and you have good drainage, why not just protect the window directly?
If you are going to do the well, and you have a perimeter drain installed already, gravel to the drain should be fine. BTW, be sure the foundation waterproofing is intact.
posted by Carmody'sPrize at 9:42 AM on September 4

You should tie the window wells and drains in to the weeping tile around the foundation so you evacuate that water from both the well and the foundation itself. There is code around this that should be followed if you want your foundation and structure around the wells to remain healthy...
posted by iamabot at 9:49 AM on September 4

So the snow builds up around the window and the window leaks when it melts? What about domes over the wells?

My concern would be that the standing water in the well would either get nasty and slimy or be a breeding ground for mosquitos. If you don't have a high water table or really clayey soils though, you might be able to get away with gravel.

Another option would be to plumb the drains into the house and have it pumped out by your basement sump pump, but I'd say that's a last resort.
posted by electroboy at 12:07 PM on September 4