Older houses around the park were built with small basement windows set in shallow wells of brick, concrete or corrugated metal. When basements were finished into bedrooms, many owners enlarged those openings into egress windows with deeper wells, as building codes require for sleeping rooms. Both kinds of well have the same weakness: they are open holes in the ground right against the foundation, and they collect whatever falls into them.

A well with a working drain at the bottom, connected to gravel or a drain line, can usually handle rain. Snow is different. A wet spring storm can fill a well to the top, the drain at the bottom freezes or clogs with leaves left over from fall, and a day or two of sun melts the pile from the top down. The water has nowhere to go but through the window frame, under the sill, or through gaps where the well meets the foundation.

How a typical spring well flood unfolds

This sequence is common enough that it is worth knowing the warning points.

Late fall
Leaves from street and yard trees settle in the wells and cover the drain grate.
Big spring storm
Wet snow drifts into the wells, sometimes helped by shoveling or roof slide.
First sunny day
Snow melts on top while the bottom layer and the drain stay frozen.
Afternoon
Water rises above the window sill and starts to seep, then pour, through the frame.
Evening
Someone notices wet carpet in the basement bedroom along the window wall.
Following days
If the drywall and pad are not opened, the wall cavity stays damp and odors begin.

Keeping wells dry through the snow season

Most of these take a few minutes and pay off every spring.

  • Clear leaves from every well in late fall, then check again after the last leaves drop.
  • Pour a bucket of water into each well on a dry day and watch whether it drains within a few minutes.
  • Fit clear, sturdy covers so snow stays out but light still reaches the room; egress covers must still open from inside.
  • After a storm, shovel snow out of wells before it melts rather than piling sidewalk snow beside them.
  • Point downspouts away from wells and extend them several feet from the foundation.
  • Check caulk and the seal where a metal well meets the foundation wall.
  • Look at window frames in the basement for rot or rust, which lets water in at a lower level.

Common questions

My well has no drain at all. Is that a problem?

It can be. Some older wells rely on soil at the bottom to absorb water, which works poorly in clay or when frozen. A contractor can add gravel and a drain connection, or a well cover can keep most water out.

Who should fix a leaking egress window?

A window or foundation contractor handles the opening and well. If water has already soaked the room, drying and removing wet finishes is a separate restoration task, and it is worth documenting before the window repair starts.

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