The answer to this is no and yes. Many window well covers, like the ones you find at big box stores, are pre made and there is nothing custom about them. Covers that are custom made for your wells are a better value over time and definitely worth the minor cost. If you’re in the market for a way to protect your window wells, then window well covers custom made by a quality company are the best option for your home or business. You may have shopped around and found some different styles available for different prices at some of the big box stores or other local home improvement shops. But what you’re finding are probably lower quality pre-made covers.
And those will work just fine, right? Probably not. They’re usually cheaper products made of cheap materials that offer a quick fix to a potential costly issue. Some are as cheap as twenty dollars. You’ve heard the saying “you get what you pay for”, right? Well, that’s certainly true with cheap window well covers. Covers that are built with strong materials can be hundreds of dollars. The issue with some of the more expensive pre made covers isn’t that they’re poorly built (although some are) or use cheap materials. The other issue is the fit. If you look around at different window wells for different homes in different neighborhoods, you’ll start to see that there is no industry standard for shape, length, width, or overall size for window well covers. Most cities have some type of regulation that states minimum distance from the foundation of the home that the well has to stick out, but there are no rules as to whether they have to be square, half circles, rounded corners, etc… This makes for many different sizes and shapes. On top of that, the wells themselves can be bent or twisted out of shape slightly causing different sizes of wells also. Chances are pretty good that if you take a closer look at the window well covers around your own home, they’re not all the exact same size. Some may be just inches different while others vary by feet!
This is where window well covers custom made for your wells will give you the most protection and value. A good company will come to your home and take precise measurements and templates for each of your window wells. This ensures that your window well covers custom fit over your well like a glove. They won’t slide around or sit awkwardly on top of your well like some pre-made covers will.
Another thing to look for in a good window well cover is the materials used. The cheapest covers use flimsy plastic that doesn’t do a good job of protecting your well and certainly doesn’t look great. The last thing you want is a child falling through a cheap cover. Poor materials often won’t last through the changing weather let alone the damage kids or pets can do. Look for covers that are made of high quality steel, polycarbonate, aircraft grade aluminum and other materials that will stand the test of time and be durable enough to hold a large amount of weight. The processes used to create window well covers custom for you are important also. Do your research and make sure that the company uses best welding and coating practices. Companies who provide a top quality product have tested and developed their processes by trial and error to know what works best.
Over the years if you opt to take the cheap route, it often will cost you more in the long run since you’ll likely be replacing your covers much more frequently. With most things in life, you’ll get more value and save yourself a lot of headache by doing things right the first time. It’s the same with window well covers custom made using good techniques and fit properly.
