These days basements provide homeowners more living space. They become the perfect addition for home theaters, pool tables and family entertainment areas. Children play, home offices are set up in them and they provide sleeping quarters.
Builders offer homeowners the ability to allow natural daylight into the basement by installing window wells or egress window wells when the home is built. Unfortunately this leaves a large exterior hole that the homeowner is left to deal with.
Indiana code requires that all egress wells be covered for safety. Most builders will cover egress openings using heavy steel grates, fencing or a wooden frame with lattice board. This does adhere to Indiana building code for safety, but leaves the homeowner to deal with constant maintenance issues due to this open style cover.
Open style covers still allow weather elements to reach the window, and in time can allow the basement window to leak and allow water into the basement. Open style well covers allow leaves and debris to collect in the wells creating constant homeowner cleaning to assure the drain remains operable and free of debris. Small animals and rodents can fall thru open style covers and become trapped in the well damaging the window screens trying to find a way back out.
Continued exposure to weather elements will cause rust to steel grates making them aesthetically unappealing. These grates are heavy and remain in place, but could be hard for a child to remove if an emergency occurred. Wooden lattice frames over time with weather exposure deteriorate and provide less support and eventually no safety for this large size opening. Fencing can become cumbersome to climb over again and again in order for the homeowner to maintain the wells.
Hardware and home improvement stores do carry basement well covers. They will generally stock a few different sizes, and if you are lucky enough to find one that fits the width of your well, it will typically not have the correct projection you need to fully enclose the entire opening. These covers will be made out of a thin plastic, will easily break and do not address the following considerations a homeowner should address when purchasing a basement well cover.
Things To Consider When Purchasing A Basement Well Cover
If you own a home with a basement window well or are in the process of building a home that will have basement window wells you should invest in a high quality cover that is constructed using Green Materials built to last. A durable and properly fitting cover may cost a little more up front, but in the long run, will limit the frustration homeowners have of trying to find one that actually fits and the cost involved in the continued replacement of the cheaper plastic covers.
1.) STRENGTH:
The thicker the material being used, the more support the cover will provide.
1/4" polycarbonate material will easily support 300 lbs.
2.) DURABILITY:
Address the material being used to construct the cover. Acrylics and Plexiglas do not provide the strength like Polycarbonate. Polycarbonate will also withstand temperature changes and will not get brittle and break.
3.) FUNCTION & DESIGN:
Will the cover fully enclose your well and window. Some windows extend above the actual well. Also, consider if you prefer the cover to hinge open or prefer it to lift completely off.
4.) AESTHETICS:
Consider how you want your cover to look. A good looking well cover can add value to your property.
5.) SECURITY:
Can the cover be locked from the underneath side to ward off potential burglars, but still allow easy escape in case of emergency.
6.) FIT:
Decide how well you want the cover to fit. Covers that are custom made to fit your well will generally look much more appealing.
7.) VENTILATION:
Proper ventilation reduces condensation and heat buildup.
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