window well filling

marieriley65 · 12-08-2011, 11:03 AM

I have large window wells and they are empty. They go down 2-3 feet below the bottom of the window which is of course where the basement floor is as well. I noticed a strong draft of cold air coming in where the wall meets the floor. burrr. If I fill in the well with pea rock up to the bottom of the window, will that help? I assume it will help with water drainage as well.

Bud Cline · 12-08-2011, 11:12 AM

Are these windows in a basement bedroom? Are they intended to be "egress windows"? How will filling them with pea gravel "help" with drainage?

DexterII · 12-08-2011, 12:41 PM

How old is the house? Is the basement finished? Above the window, is the band joist insulated? Is the window properly sealed and caulked? I would look at some of these factors, because I have never seen insulation ratings on pea gravel, but suspect that it would be quite low on the list, and, as Bud alluded, I cannot seeing it help with drainage in this case. If it's an older house, sometimes simply covering the window temporarily, leaving lights on in the basement or crawl space, and going outdorrs, after dark of course, can be more revealing than you would care to imagine.

Windows on Wash · 12-08-2011, 06:19 PM

It is unlikely that the draft is coming between the wall and the footer.

Cold air will sink and move along the floor. It is most likely entering through the bands as previously mentioned.

marieriley65 · 12-09-2011, 09:47 AM

Let me start over. The windows I am referring to are egress windows and they are in my basement. I have 7 of them. The house is about 13 or years old and the previous owner left a few areas unfinished. Such as the outside window well areas. I was told I needed to fill the bottom the window well with pea gravel up to the bottom of the window. When it rains a lot we do tend to get water in by certain window areas. I was thinking the pea gravel would help to filtrate the water and slow it down so my drain tile would be able to keep up. The draft is coming from between the wall and the basement floor especially strong below where the windows are located. So, I thought maybe the pea gravel would help with both problems. I'm just a daycare provider with no knowledge of how these things work. It just seemed logical.

marieriley65 · 12-09-2011, 10:28 AM

I should also add that the window well area is very large. The previous owner made them out of wood. They are at least 5 feet deep. The area that needs to be filled with pea rock measures 3 feet wide, 2 feet wide, and maybe 2-3 feet deep. The bottom of this well is also where the basement floor is. That is where the draft is felt the strongest. I do acknowledge that the air could be coming in through someplace else and just moving. I just don't know where. The house seems sealed except for the window well areas and that is where I feel it the most.

marieriley65 · 12-09-2011, 10:30 AM

[quote=marieriley65;789692]I should also add that the window well area is very large. The previous owner made them out of wood. They are at least 5 feet deep. The area that needs to be filled with pea rock measures 3 feet wide, 2 feet wide, and maybe 2-3 feet deep. The bottom of this well is also where the basement floor is. That is where the draft is felt the strongest. I do acknowledge that the air could be coming in through someplace else and just moving. I just don't know where. The house seems sealed except for the window well areas and that is where I feel it the most. Thanks!

Bud Cline · 12-09-2011, 11:48 AM

Caulk.

Windows on Wash · 12-09-2011, 06:30 PM

There are some critical issues with what you are describing. That being said and avoiding a more involved description, I would start with the caulk that Bud mentioned.

Good luck.