The problem

A basement was taking on water because the original egress window well was improperly installed — too short, and lacking proper gravel depth for filtration and drainage, which allowed mud and water to wash underneath the well and seep into the basement.

How we diagnosed it

We see this type of problem all the time: contractors that don’t regularly install egress windows often miss critical drainage and waterproofing steps. The undersized well and inadequate drainage stone were the source of the water intrusion.

Our solution

Our crew saw-cut and removed the surrounding concrete, excavated the area, and removed the undersized window well. We then installed a properly sized window well with an 8-inch lip above the concrete and approximately 12 inches below the basement window for proper drainage stone placement. Even though the home already had exterior drain tile, we installed an additional bell hole because we did not fully trust the existing drainage system. After reinstalling proper drainage stone, we tied the new concrete into the existing slab with rebar and completed the project with a clean broom finish.

Products & methods used

• Undersized window well removed
• Properly sized window well installed
• 8″ lip above concrete, ~12″ below window
• Additional bell hole for drainage
• New drainage stone
• Concrete tied to slab with rebar, broom finish