Which kind of egress window well is better: A galvanized steel window well or a precast concrete window well?
In today’s article we’ll explore the difference between these two types of window wells to help you make a smart decision for your home.
How Galvanized Steel Window Wells are Made
Residential metal window wells are usually made with a thin sheet of steel, ranging from 12 to 18 gauge thickness. 12 gauge steel is about the thickness of two credit cards, and 18 gauge is about the thickness of a dime.
Because the metal is so thin, the metal must be bent into a wavy pattern. These corrugations help to give the steel more strength. Otherwise, the steel would be too weak to withstand the pressure of the dirt against the side of the window well.
After the metal is corrugated, it is coated with a galvanizing compound. This coating is designed to prevent the moisture in the dirt from corroding the steel (at least for a while).
How Concrete Window Wells Are Made
There are two ways to make a concrete window well: Pour the concrete in place at your home, or bring precast concrete sections and attach them to your home. Both methods can produce a strong, durable window well, but the poured-in-place concrete makes for a much slower installation process. After the concrete is poured, it has to cure for a week or more before the dirt can be backfilled around the well.
We prefer to use precast concrete window wells. Our window wells are engineered to ensure they meet all Wichita building codes.
We pour the slabs of concrete on specialized tables in our manufacturing facility. The concrete slabs are steel reinforced, ensuring that they can withstand the pressure of the surrounding soil after installation. Before the concrete dries, we stamp them with a decorative stone pattern.
The concrete sections are then set aside to cure before being transported to our customer’s home.
Pros and Cons of Galvanized Steel Window Wells
Pros
Galvanized steel egress window wells are relatively lightweight, so they’re easier to install. They’re also inexpensive because there’s not really all that much steel in each window well.
Cons
Lighter gauge steel is not especially strong, and might get damaged by the forces of shifting soil.
Some people may also find the galvanized metal look more suited to Chipotle’s decor rather than their suburban home.
Perhaps the biggest downside is simply that over time, the window well will corrode and weaken. While the galvanized coating can protect the steel for a number of years, it’s not reasonable to expect a galvanized steel window well to last permanently. Ultimately it’s steel buried in dirt, and at some point corrosion will cause the steel to fail.
Pros and Cons of Precast Concrete Window Wells
Cons
The only con of precast concrete is the weight. It does require careful handling with large equipment to safely transport and set into place.
Pros
We use an interlocking system that allows us to secure the three sections of the precast well to each other, as well as to the basement wall. Because we don’t have to set up forms, pour concrete, and wait for it to cure, our installation process is very fast.
Normally we can complete the entire installation, start to finish, in a single day.
Precast concrete can’t rust, so subsurface moisture is a non-issue. Our engineered panels are incredibly strong, so we can pack the soil tightly around the outside of the egress well with no issues.
In terms of durability, a precast concrete window well is a permanent solution, and almost certainly the last egress window well you’ll ever need for your home.
The Best Egress Window Well
If you need something cheap, and you’re not too concerned about durability, a galvanized steel window well might do the trick.
However, if you’re looking for an egress window well that’s built to last for decades, looks great, and can be installed in a single day, the Illumicast precast concrete window well is the clear winner.
But Aren’t We Biased?
Of course we naturally think our process is the best, or we wouldn’t offer it to our customers. That being said, we’ve replaced many failing galvanized window wells with our precast concrete window wells, but we’ve never had one of our egress window wells fail.
So while we might be biased, we know from practical experience that our egress window wells are extremely durable.
If you’re interested in getting a quote for a new egress window well, give us a call at 620-200-0616 or send us a message here.