Egress window well channel light to dark basements and provide a code-approved second way out in the even of a fire. Now they also can improve the view.
With a foam-filled plastic ScapeWel, you can grow a terraced garden right outside your below-grade basement window. And if you do need to get out in an emergency, you can walk the broad, earth-filled steps rather than monkey your way up a sheer metal ladder.
ScapeWels are ideal for use in new construction where they can be installed before the foundation is backfilled. But as this project demonstrates, they also can be retrofitted to existing homes. We replaced a standard basement window with a large casement window from Andersen and fitted it with a ScapeWel last fall.
The ScapeWel was shipped to the site in a large box. We assembled it by snapping the panels together and pinning the through-mortises and tenons with rust-resistant. 4-in. screws. Then we secured the unit to the concrete block foundation with 2-1/2.in. hexhead Tapcon masonry screws.
The ScapeWel comes with reversible aluminum mounting brackets. Order the remodeling version so the brackets face inward. That way you can minimize your excavation and secure the well from inside. However, for easier positioning and installation, dig the hole 6 in. larger than the well on all sides.
You can install a ScrapeWel in pieces starting with each side panel and continuing with the risers so you don't have to maneuver the whole 165-pound unit at once. Since we had plenty of help, we decided to assemble the structure above grade and lower it into the ground in one piece.
A number of construction details are important to installing a ScrapeWel successfully.
The top of the side panels should be a few inches above grade so surface water doesn't flood the well.
You must have drainage in the bottom of the well – usually drainage tile that leads to your foundation's footing drains and is covered by landscape fabric and drainage rock.
Make sure the top of the well is square or the cover will not fit properly.
Cross-brace the structure before you backfill; proceed carefully so you don't collapse the walls.
Don't underestimate the effort needed to excavate the hole or the physical strength and electrical power needed to operate the cutoff saw
If you plan to plant flowers or shrubs in the terraced step, consider whether the ScrapeWel will be exposed to sunshine.
Don't start the project until you have the window on site so you can verify the size of the rough opening and the clearance required to open the window.
To make the most of a ScrapeWel, you need to start with and egress window. Code requires egress windows open at least 20 in. wide and 24 in. high, with a total clear opening of at least 5.7 sf. In addition, the still must be within 44 in. of the floor.
TIP: If you choose a window that is taller than it is wide, you will be able to install it higher in the wall so it catches more light.
Choosing the right window is critical to the success of the project. The window needs to fit within the ScapeWel opening. If you select a hinged, out-opening casement window, it also must be able to swing open without hitting the riser on the well's lower tier.
Installing a window in a masonry foundation is a lot like installing one above grade. But to get to that point you first have to make a large hole in the foundation and frame the rough opening with pressure-treated wood. If you have poured concrete foundation, hire a contractor with special equipment to cut the opening. If your home has a concrete block foundation, you may be able to remove a section yourself by scoring both the inside and the outside of the block with a heavy-duty circular saw of 14-in. cutoff saw that is fitted with an abrasive carborundum blade. A big electric cutoff saw like the one I used will cut through the block faster, but it is heavy and awkward to maneuver in close quarters. It also draws major power when it starts, enough to blow the 15-amp circuit fuse a half-dozen times in our case. A gasoline powered cutoff saw is even heavier and creates noxious exhaust fumes that are not acceptable indoors.
Making the opening 6 in. wider and 1-1/2 in lower than the rough opening the window requires and remove all of the block up to the mudsill. Try to make the horizontal cut on the grout line and the vertical cuts where they will not hit the blocks' solid webs, so they break cleanly. Fill the lower blocks with rock and cap them with mortar. Then install a pressure-treated wood sill flush with the inside of the foundation using construction adhesive and Tapcon masonry screws. Next, install the full-length vertical king studs between the sill and mudsill. Toenail the header along the top and support it with jack studs (put the tops in place first and hammer the bottoms outward until they are plumb).
With the wood framing in place, install the window by securing the nailing flanges to the framing with roofing nails and shimming between the jamb and the rough framing. Some contractors finish around the window with flared mortar. I prefer to use rough cedar boards around the bottom and sides and extend the siding down along the top.
Depending on your soil conditions, digging the hole can be the hardest part of the job. It took my friend nearly three days of pick-and-shovel labor to remove the hard-packed clay for this installation. A skilled excavator could have completed the hole in about an hour. Either way, don't begin the digging until you get the plan approved by your area building department and call your local utilities to mark underground lines.
You can order ScapeWel with a clear plastic lid to keep the water out or a sturdy grille for safety and security.
Sources
ScapeWel: RMBase Co., (800) 854-9724
Window: Andersen (800) 426-4261, ext. 1232