Cedar Window Well – A Creative Solution to an Ugly Problem

This past summer we installed a cedar window well with a removable and foldable bench at the edge of it.  Our client was looking for something that was visually appealing and the typical steel window well just wasn’t going to cut it.  In the end we opted for a cedar window well to help tie in the wood accents on the exterior of the home as well as the wooden barn door and other wooden features inside the house.

We constructed the frame of the well with pressure treated lumber and then cased it with cedar.  The pressure treated lumber is both less expensive and also resists rotting for longer when its exposed to soil and moisture.  We then back filled around the window well with drain rock and used weeping tile at the bottom of the well to help with drainage.

This window well was at the edge of their outdoor patio so it was important to have something to protect people from falling in.  For this reason we helped design a bench that would be at the edge of the well to provide a barrier at the edge of the patio as well as function as a patio seat.  The back of the bench lifts out and is also foldable to provide easy fire escape through the basement in case of an emergency.  We also stained all of the cedar with Sikkens Cetol for aesthetics and protection.

Here are some pictures of the well and bench as well as a few pictures of the basement so you can see how it ties in.

EPIC Contracting develops basements and we install egress windows (this basement had no window before we developed it).  If you’re interested in more info or a quote for your project, contact us here.