Aluminum Window Well Covers

Why people choose an aluminum cover

The case for aluminum comes down to two things: it is lighter and it does not rust. That matters most on a cover that gets handled. A steel cover on a 72 inch well is a two person lift. The same size in aluminum is something one person can take off, set aside, and put back without making a job of it.

• Light enough for one person to lift clear on most sizes
• Aluminum does not rust, so it holds up outdoors without attention
• Keeps snow, leaves and debris out of the well
• Closes off an open hole in the yard
• Still passes daylight to the basement window
• Takes a clear polycarbonate sheet if you want rain kept out too

How to choose an aluminum window well cover

Measure the well itself

Covers are sold by well size, not window size. Take the outside width along the foundation and the outside projection at the deepest point of the well. If we built the well, the size is in the product name and the matching cover is straightforward to find.

Be honest about how often it comes off

This is the question aluminum answers. If the cover goes on and stays there, steel does the same job for less. If the window gets opened in summer, or the well needs clearing a few times a year, the weight difference is the whole reason to spend more.

Decide about polycarbonate

Open mesh lets rain fall straight through and drain away, which is fine on a well that drains properly. A clear polycarbonate sheet keeps rain and snow out of the well altogether. Choose it if water sitting in the well has caused trouble before.

Allow for the lead time

Aluminum covers are built to order rather than pulled from stock, so allow four to five weeks. If you need something on site sooner, a steel cover ships faster.

Check the well is still square

Wells bow outward over the years as soil pushes against them. A cover made to the nominal size will not sit flat on a well that has spread. Measure what is in the ground now, not what was ordered years ago.

Aluminum cover sizes we build

Twenty one sizes, matched to the wells we make.

• Widths from 36 to 88 inches
• Projections from 12 to 30 inches
• Frame welded aluminum with mesh infill
• Polycarbonate available on every size

Odd sizes and out of square wells are quoted individually. Send us the measurements and we will price it.

Ordering from a Canadian manufacturer

These are fabricated in our own plant in southeast Calgary, in the same shop as the wells, so the sizes line up properly. Buying direct means no distributor markup and no minimum order.

Because they are made to order, allow four to five weeks before dispatch, then transit time on top depending on where you are. We ship to every province and territory, deliver locally around Calgary, and pickup at the plant is free. Covers travel as freight, arriving curbside on a liftgate truck with somebody needed to sign. See the shipping policy for rates and delivery details.

Still need the well underneath? Browse the window wells, or the egress ready sizes if the window serves a bedroom.

Fitting

The cover sits on the top edge of the well rather than fixing to the house. On an exposed site, anchor it so wind cannot lift it off. How you do that depends on the well material, so steel, concrete and block wells each want a different approach.

Upkeep

Aluminum needs almost nothing. Clear leaves off the mesh in autumn so water keeps draining. If a polycarbonate sheet clouds or cracks after a hard winter it can be replaced on its own, and the frame carries on.

Common questions

How much lighter is aluminum than steel?
Enough that one person can handle sizes that would otherwise take two. The difference grows with the size of the cover, so it matters most on wide wells.

Will aluminum hold up to Canadian winters?
Aluminum does not rust, so salt, snow and freeze thaw cycles do not attack it the way they eventually attack an unprotected steel edge.

Why the four to five week wait?
Aluminum covers are cut, welded and assembled to order rather than held in stock, because the size range is too wide to keep every one on a shelf.

Can somebody get out from inside?
On a bedroom egress window the cover has to lift off from inside the well without tools. Check this on any cover you fit to an egress well.

Do you make covers for wells you did not supply?
Yes. We need accurate outside measurements of the well, and we will quote from those.

More on measuring and fitting is on our questions page.