Chicagoland Window Well Drainage: What You Should Know
Window wells are usually set at ground-level near basement windows, and they’re designed to prevent rainwater from flowing directly into the basement through the window itself. The excess water is held in the well and drained using a top gravel layer and a lower window well drain. They can also be used to bring sunlight into the basement, and they triple up as an emergency escape route.
All in all, window wells are straightforward and useful little home fixtures.
But what happens if they fail?
If window wells aren’t properly fitted, maintained, or regularly examined, they warp and wear. This means that instead of the water being funneled away from the house, it’s actually just seeping down the side and into the foundation. As time goes on, your foundation could actually begin to split and crack from this improper drainage.
Don’t let something as simple as a window well become such an overblown problem. Get ahold of your local Chicago plumbers today at Parks’ Plumbing & Sewer, Inc. and get the service and peace of mind you deserve.
Common Window Well Problems
Improper size
Window wells and their coverings need to be flush into the foundation wall; if they’re not, that lets water and sediment enter into the seam between the well and the foundation and slowly chip away at the housing.
Gravel Layer Contamination
Make sure to keep those gravel layers clean. The layer is an important component of the filtering process for the drainage system, and that means it has been maintained and cared for properly. Keep an eye on any garbage, leaves, sediment, or other kinds of debris and blockages that could cause a problem.
Poor drainage
It’s not only the gravel layer that’s an important component of drainage—obviously, the drain itself plays a big role too.
But drains and their outflow pipes can clog pretty easily, especially when they’re in such a crucial area that receives a lot of running water and all the little bits and pieces it carries with it. This debris can clog the drain or create a blockage in the pipe, and if that happens, calling a good plumber might be one of the only options.
parks' plumbing & sewer takes care of window wells and more
Parks’ Plumbing & Sewer has been servicing the Chicagoland area with quality plumbing, sewer, flood control, and a wealth of other services since 1981. We’re proud of what we do—for example, our ‘DOUBLE GUARD’™ valve is a piece of flood control technology made entirely out of metal, with cast-housing and stainless steel parts.
Other companies use a galvanized box with plastic parts and Styrofoam pieces, and you definitely don’t want any plastic parts in valve that’s supposed to keep your house safe from City Sewer backup. We personally designed that system, and it has tested at over a 99% success rate for over forty years—but we’re also proud because we try to be as honest, straightforward, and open with our customers as possible. Those relationships matter to us, and we make sure to let our customers know.
So whether you need a window well replacement, a trenchless sewer system installed, some service on your backflow valves, or even just some advice on a plumbing problem or two you’re having, give us a call and smile today—we’re on our way!
