Alright, so I had this little project I wanted to tackle – figuring out how to measure my window wells. You know, those little sunken areas around basement windows? Yeah, those. I needed to get some covers for them, and obviously, I didn’t want to end up with something that didn’t fit. So, I rolled up my sleeves and got to work.
First things first, I grabbed my trusty tape measure. I figured, this isn’t rocket science, it’s just measuring, right? But then I realized, it’s not just about the length and width. You gotta think about depth too. My neighbor, old Tom, once told me that the well should be deeper than the windowsill. That makes sense, I guess. Keeps the rain and snow out.
So, I started by measuring the width of the window. Easy peasy. Then, I measured the length from the house out to the edge of the well. Now for the depth, I measured from the ground level down to the bottom of the well. I made sure to jot all these numbers down on a piece of paper because, well, my memory isn’t what it used to be.
- Width: The window’s width, plus a few extra inches on each side. I added about 6 inches in total.
- Length: From the house to the edge of the well.
- Depth: From the ground level down to the bottom.
I also remembered something about the well needing to be deeper than the windowsill. I measured from the bottom of the well up to the sill and made sure there was a good 8 inches or so of extra depth. Better safe than sorry, especially with the crazy weather we’ve been having lately. It’s important for keeping pets or other animals safe.
Getting the Right Fit
After I had all my measurements, I started thinking about the shape of the well. Mine are kind of rounded, but I know some folks have square or rectangular ones. I made a little sketch of the shape to make sure I’d remember when it came time to get the covers.
Honestly, it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. Just took a bit of time and some careful measuring. Now I feel way more confident about getting the right size covers. No more worrying about rainwater flooding my basement or critters making a home down there!
So, that’s my little adventure in measuring window wells. Hopefully, this helps someone else out there who’s scratching their head wondering where to start. It’s really all about taking it one step at a time and not being afraid to get your hands a little dirty.
