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Posted by shiver on November 5, 2007, 8:47 am
>> Hi,
>> I have an old window well covered over in an unfinished basement. I
>> plan on sealing the entrance to the well outside with concrete.
>>
>> It's a concrete well with a lip about 4 inches high above the ground.
>> I think I can use concrete screws to attach a 2x4 frame around the
>> inside of the well, about two inches below the level of the lip.
>> Then I'll put down some concrete backer board on the frame, creating
>> a box about two inches deep inside the top of the well. Then I'll
>> fill it with concrete to be level with the top of the well.
>>
>> The idea is to create a permanent concrete lid over the well so that
>> it's just a concrete block outside the house. It will look a lot
>> better than what's there now.
>>
>> I've never worked with concrete before, but I plan on using a ready
>> mix. I've been reading up on how to do it.
>>
>> Can anyone tell me if this is a good plan? Am I missing anything?
>> Thanks
>
> you REALLY need basement windows for light and ventilation!! sealed
> ones lead to high moisture cntent, mold, trouble painting in basement
Oh - this is an OLD (100+ years) house. The basement has a 6 foot ceiling,
leaks
like the titanic, has huge old cracks in the floor, areas bulging up...it's ugly.
My Dehumidifier from Hell solved mold and mildew problems beautifully.
Most of the water is leaking from the window well! There's no drain in the
well, so
the water fills up and runs over the rotting sill and under the wood cover.
(Somebody boarded over the window many long years ago.)
> from fumes, are often required by building codes and sealing will
> likely cause grief at home resale time.
You raise a good point. There is a window in the crawl space at ground
level...but
it's not easy to get to and it doesn't open. I'll have to find out more about
the
building codes...hadn't thought about resale. Thanks.
> get a steel grid and forget about it
>
> or a plastic cap.
>
> better yet make window larger meet ingress egress rules, at home
> resale your basement just became a bedroom:( Raising home sale price:)
I don't think a homeless person would want to sleep down there! :)
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