Window Wells on Older Englewood Bungalows: Drains and Covers

Wells that were never meant for living space

Many of Englewood's older bungalows and post-war ranches were built with small basement windows meant to light a furnace room or a laundry area. Over the decades, owners turned those basements into bedrooms, offices and family rooms. The windows stayed the same size, or were enlarged for egress, but the wells around them were often shallow galvanized rings sitting in packed soil with no real drain at the bottom.

Front Range summer storms can drop a lot of rain in a short burst, sometimes with hail that clogs gutters at the same moment. Roof water overshoots a full gutter, lands next to the house and pours into the nearest well. If the well bottom is compacted clay, leaves and old landscape fabric, the water rises until it finds the weakest point: the seal around the window frame, or the glass itself if pressure builds high enough.

What you may find at the bottom of a well

Dig down a few inches with a trowel on a dry day to see which you have.
Well bottom	How it behaves	What usually helps
Bare soil or clay	Drains slowly or not at all once saturated	Several inches of washed gravel; check whether a drain is possible
Gravel over soil	Handles light rain; can overflow in a downpour	Keep gravel clean and below the window sill by a good margin
Gravel with a drain pipe	Should drain to footing drain or sump if the pipe is clear	Flush the pipe with a hose; a plumber can scope it if it backs up
Concrete or debris-filled	Acts like a bowl and holds water	Clean out debris; ask a contractor about adding a drain
Landscape fabric over gravel	Fabric clogs with silt and slows drainage	Remove or replace the fabric and clean the gravel

After water has come through a window

Check the drywall or paneling below the window for wet wicking upward, and the framing beneath the sill.
Pull back carpet near the window; water often runs farther under the pad than it looks.
Look at the window frame for rot or rust where water sat against it.
Inspect the well liner where it meets the foundation; a gap there lets water run down the outside of the wall.
Photograph the well, the gutters above it and the inside damage before cleaning anything up, for insurance and for any contractor.

Questions for a contractor quoting window well work

Is there an existing drain at the bottom, and where does it go?
Will the new well liner be sealed and attached to the foundation?
If you are enlarging the window for egress, is a building permit required and who pulls it?
How will roof water above this well be handled so the well is not taking the full load?
What will you do about any rot or damage you find in the window frame or wall?

General information for Englewood, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.