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I Finally Fixed My Flooding Basement Window With These Egress Products
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items Every heavy rain used to mean grabbing towels and a shop vac at 2am because water poured through my basement egress windows. If you've ever woken up to a soggy carpet smell or watched a storm and felt dread instead of coziness, this is the exact list...
Sections
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Egress Window Well Covers That Keep Rain Out
Window Well Drains to Prevent Water Buildup
Waterproof Sealant for Basement Window Frames
Gravel and Drainage Stone for Window Wells
Basement Waterproofing Paint and Coatings
Sump Pumps for Extra Basement Protection
Egress Window Well Covers That Keep Rain Out
Water pooled on top of my old flat cover and eventually seeped right through the edges. Switching to a properly shaped cover was the single biggest fix.
Grab this if your rectangular well has been collecting water like a bathtub. Installed mine in about 20 minutes with the included hardware, and the dome shape sends rain sliding right off. Haven't had a single drop get through since last April.
Clear 39x16in Heavy-Duty Polycarbonate Basement Window Well Cover
Use this for those big round wells that seem impossible to find covers for. My neighbor spent weeks searching before I pointed him to this one. Fits snug, clips on tight, and survived 50mph wind gusts last fall without budging.
MACCOURT PRODUCTS INC Bubble Window Well Cover
Switch to this if your plastic cover keeps cracking every winter. The steel frame holds up to snow load way better. A buddy in Minnesota has had his for three winters and it still looks brand new.
Easy Installation Clear Polycarbonate Window Well Cover
Window Well Drains to Prevent Water Buildup
Covers alone weren't enough for me. Water was also seeping up from the bottom of the well because there was zero drainage underneath all that gravel.
Pair this with your buried drain line so water exits far from the foundation. I ran mine about 8 feet out into the yard and the difference was immediate after the next storm. For anyone whose downspout dumps right next to their well.
NDS 420C Pop-Up Drainage Emitter for 3-in and 4-in Drain
Toss this at the bottom of your well over the drain pipe opening. Keeps leaves and debris from clogging the pipe underneath. I learned the hard way when my old uncovered drain backed up during a downpour in October.
NDS 4 in. Satin Round Brass Drain Grate
Get this to redirect your gutter water away from the window well area entirely. My downspout used to dump about a foot from the well. Extending it six feet out stopped roughly 80% of the water that was causing problems.
Amerimax Home Products Downspout Extension Flexible
Waterproof Sealant for Basement Window Frames
Found out my window frame had tiny gaps where water crept in during wind-driven rain. A good sealant closed those gaps for under ten bucks.
Use this around the window frame where it meets the foundation wall. Applied a bead around my entire egress frame on a dry Saturday and it cured overnight. Two rainy seasons later, still holding strong.
DAP DYNAFLEX ULTRA 10.1 oz. Black Advanced Exterior
Keep this on hand for sealing any cracks in the well liner itself. Found two hairline cracks in my metal well that were letting water weep through. One tube fixed both and I still have half left.
Gorilla Waterproof Caulk & Seal Silicone Sealant
Grab this for the joint where your well meets the foundation. It stays flexible so it won't crack when the ground shifts with freeze-thaw cycles. Perfect if you're in a climate where temps swing 60 degrees between seasons.
LOCTITE PL S30 Polyurethane Roof & Flashing Sealant
Gravel and Drainage Stone for Window Wells
My well had about two inches of packed dirt at the bottom. Replacing it with proper drainage stone was a Saturday project that made a massive difference.
Dump a few bags in the bottom of your well to create a proper drainage layer. I used four bags for one standard-sized well. Water now drains down instead of sitting there like a sad little pond.
Quikrete 50 lb. All-Purpose Gravel 115150
Try these on top of the larger gravel for a cleaner look. They fill in the gaps and keep dirt from washing into your drain. My wells actually look decent now instead of like forgotten holes in the ground.
Vigoro 0.5 cu. ft. Bagged Pea Gravel Pebbles
Swap these in if your egress well is visible from a patio or walkway. They function the same as plain gravel but look intentional. My wife went from hating the window wells to actually not minding them.
Pavestone .5 Cu. ft. Bagged River Pebbles - Landscaping
Basement Waterproofing Paint and Coatings
Even after fixing the outside, I had moisture wicking through the concrete wall near the window. Interior waterproofing paint stopped that cold.
Brush this on the interior wall around your egress window. Two coats blocked the dampness that kept showing up after every rain. For anyone who keeps seeing that dark wet patch on the wall below the window, this is your fix.
United Gilsonite, Drylok Extreme Masonry Waterproofer
Use this if you want something that goes on thicker in one coat. Covered about 75 square feet around both my basement windows with one gallon. The musty smell near those walls disappeared within a week.
Rust-Oleum Zinsser Watertite Waterproofing Paint
Get this for larger wall sections if water damage has spread beyond just the window area. Rolled it on a full basement wall in under two hours. Dries bright white so you can actually see if any new moisture tries to come through.
KILZ Basement & Masonry Waterproofing Interior/Exterior
Sump Pumps for Extra Basement Protection
After a record rainfall last June, I realized I needed a backup plan even with all the exterior fixes. A small sump pump gave me peace of mind I didn't know I was missing.
Keep this ready for those once-a-decade storms that overwhelm everything else. Pumps out about 30 gallons per minute and fits in a standard sump pit. Bought mine after our town got 4 inches of rain in two hours and I was bailing water with a bucket.
Superior Pump 91006 1/4 Horsepower Multi-Use
Switch to this if you need something that runs automatically when water rises. The float switch kicks on by itself so you don't have to babysit it during storms. For anyone who travels for work and worries about coming home to a flooded basement.
Wayne 1/2 HP Stainless Steel Sump Pump
Grab this one if you want the pump plumbers actually recommend. My plumber friend has installed dozens of these and says they outlast everything else in the price range. Cast iron housing means it won't crack if it freezes.
Zoeller 53-0016 M53 310HP 115V CI SUMP PUMP 25CD
Dehumidifiers for Damp Basements
Fixing the water entry was step one. Getting the existing moisture out of the air was step two. My basement smelled like a cave before I ran one of these.
Use this if your basement is under 1500 square feet and constantly feels clammy. Pulled out a full tank of water in the first 8 hours when I started mine. The musty smell was gone in about three days flat.
Frigidaire, Dehumidifier, Wi-Fi, 50 Pint, Energy Star, White
Try this for bigger basements or if you keep the whole lower level finished. Runs quietly enough that I forget it's on. Continuous drain option means you just hook up a hose and never empty the bucket.
hOmeLabs, Dehumidifier, 4500 Sq. Ft., 50 Pint, White
Snag this if you want something smaller and more affordable for a single room. Perfect for the area right around your egress window where moisture lingers. Energy Star rated so it won't spike your electric bill running all summer.
Midea 35 Pint Dehumidifer, Covers up to 3500 Sq ft
Egress Window Well Liners and Replacements
My original metal well liner was rusted through at the bottom. Replacing it with a modern one stopped water from seeping through the corroded spots.
Swap your rusty old well for this if you can see daylight through the corrosion holes. Installation took me about two hours with a shovel and some backfill. The new galvanized steel should outlast my mortgage.
Shape Products Window Wells at Lowes.com
Get this for circular wells where the old liner has started caving in. The ribbed design holds soil pressure better than the flat stuff from the 90s. Saved my foundation wall from extra stress.
Basement Window Well
Try this smaller liner if your window is closer to grade level. Lighter and easier to install solo. Had mine in place and backfilled before lunch on a Saturday.
Amerimax 24 in. H X 37 in. W Galvanized Steel Area Wall
French Drain Supplies for Exterior Waterproofing
Regrading around my foundation helped, but adding a french drain along the window well side of the house was the real long-term solution.
Use this if you want to skip wrapping pipe in fabric and filling trenches with gravel. It comes ready to bury. Dug my trench on a Friday evening and had the whole thing covered by Saturday afternoon.
EZflow® Gravel-Free French Drain System | NDS
Grab this for a traditional french drain setup along your foundation. Flexible enough to curve around corners. Ran mine from the window well area to a pop-up emitter 15 feet away in the yard.
ADS 4-in x 10-ft Corrugated Perforated Pipe 04040010
Wrap your drain pipe and gravel in this to keep silt from clogging everything up over time. Skipping this step is why most DIY french drains fail within five years. Learned that from a contractor after my first attempt failed.
Mutual Industries 3 x 300 Foot Non-Woven Geotextile
Moisture Detection and Leak Sensors
Wanted an early warning system so I'd know about water before it ruined anything. These sensors paid for themselves the first time they alerted me.
Toss one of these right under your egress window on the floor. Sends an alert to your phone the second it touches water. Caught a slow leak at 3am that would have soaked my carpet if I'd waited until morning.
Govee Water Sensor Leak Detectors
Try this if you want something with insane wireless range. Works through my concrete basement walls to the hub upstairs. For anyone whose WiFi is spotty in the basement, this uses its own signal.
YoLink Water Leak Sensor 2, Long Range Smart
Pair this with a Ring system if you already have one. Alerts you to both water AND freezing temps, which matters if your basement drops below 32 and pipes near the egress window could burst. Dual purpose for one sensor price.
Alarm Flood & Freeze Sensor
Basement Floor Protection Near Egress Windows
Even with every precaution, I wanted the floor around my windows protected in case something failed. Cheap insurance against expensive damage.
Snap these together around the base of your egress window. If water does get in, it flows under the tiles instead of soaking into carpet or staining concrete. Pulled them up once to check and the concrete underneath was bone dry.
Kselythan 100-Pack 12" x 12" Interlocking Garage Floor
Use these if you want something with built-in drainage channels. Water runs through the surface and toward your floor drain. Originally designed for pool decks but they work perfectly on basement floors near problem windows.
25PCS Interlocking Tiles, 12 x 12 x 1/2in PP Drainage Tile
Keep a roll of this on hand for emergency situations. Threw it over my carpet during a surprise storm when I noticed my cover had blown off. Cost about four bucks and saved me from replacing carpet padding.
Frost King Plastic Sheeting 3 mil X 20 ft. W X 25 ft. L
Tools That Made the Whole Install Easier
Didn't have the right tools the first time and it showed. These specific ones made my second attempt go smoothly and saved me from calling a contractor.
Grab a proper spade for digging out around the well. My old rounded shovel kept slipping off the well edges. The flat blade on this cuts clean lines next to the foundation wall so your liner sits flush.
Steel D-Handle Garden Spade - Fiskars
Use this to screw your well cover brackets into the foundation. Tried a cheap drill first and it couldn't handle the masonry bit. This one powered through concrete anchors without hesitation.
DeWALT DCD771C2 - 20V 1.3Ah Cordless Drill/Driver Kit
Tighten your cover hardware to the right spec so it holds but doesn't crack the mounting bracket. Over-tightened my first cover and snapped a plastic clip. This wrench clicks when you hit the right torque so you stop before breaking things.
TEKTON 1/2 Inch Drive Click Torque Wrench (10-150 ft.-lb.)