Window Well, Downspout & Grading Drainage Project in Glencoe

This drainage improvement project in Glencoe, IL was designed to improve water management around the home’s foundation, window wells, and garage area. The work focuses on several areas where water can collect or move toward the foundation, using a combination of window well drainage improvements, flexible PVC, solid underground piping, grading adjustments, and a new swale.

The project addresses both subsurface and surface water. Existing window well drains will be located and cleared where accessible, clean drainage gravel will be added to improve water movement, and the southwest window well will receive a flexible PVC drainage line to help direct water away from the foundation. Additional grading and downspout work will then help move water away from the home and toward the backyard.

Project Goals

Improve drainage around the existing basement window wells.
Help direct water away from the home’s foundation.
Clear debris from existing window well drainage areas.
Add clean drainage gravel to improve water movement within the window wells.
Install flexible PVC at the southwest window well.
Raise the grade along the foundation to establish positive drainage away from the home.
Connect the southwest downspout to underground solid PVC piping.
Convey roof runoff approximately 40 linear feet away from the home and toward the backyard.
Construct a swale south of the garage to redirect surface water eastbound and away from the structure.
Restore the existing landscape materials after the drainage and grading improvements are completed.

Window Well Drainage Improvements

The project begins with cleaning out debris from the existing window wells and locating the existing window well drains where they are accessible. Keeping these drainage areas clear allows water entering the window wells to move toward the existing drainage system rather than remaining trapped around the foundation.

Clean drainage gravel will also be added within the window wells. The gravel provides a more open drainage medium around the window well area and helps facilitate water movement toward the existing drainage system.

These improvements are particularly important around below-grade windows, where accumulated water can remain against the foundation if the surrounding drainage system is not functioning properly.

Southwest Window Well PVC Drainage

Additional drainage work will be completed at the southwest window well. The area will be excavated as needed to install a flexible PVC liner along the designated route.

The flexible PVC will help direct water away from the foundation and window well area. Its flexibility allows the piping to follow the designated drainage path while working around existing site conditions.

The surrounding area will be handled carefully during excavation, with existing gravel and landscape materials temporarily relocated as necessary to provide access for the drainage and grading work.

Foundation Grading Improvements

Proper grading is an important part of managing surface water around a home. As part of this project, approximately 1/2 cubic yard of soil will be added along the foundation to raise the grade and establish positive drainage away from the home.

The additional soil will be placed and graded to improve the existing slope around the foundation. Rather than allowing water to remain concentrated against the structure, the goal is to create a more effective path for surface water to move away from the foundation and toward the designated drainage areas.

After the grading work is complete, the existing landscape fabric and gravel will be reinstalled where they were temporarily moved during construction.

Southwest Downspout Drainage Connection

The southwest downspout will receive a new leaf guard to help prevent debris from entering the underground drainage system. The downspout will then be connected to approximately 40 linear feet of solid 4-inch PVC piping.

The underground PVC will carry roof runoff away from the home and into the backyard. This provides a controlled route for water collected from the roof rather than allowing it to discharge directly beside the foundation.

Using solid PVC for this portion of the system helps contain the collected roof runoff and move it along the designated drainage route.

Garage Area Swale

A new swale will be constructed south of the garage to help redirect surface water eastbound and away from the structure.

The swale will provide a defined path for surface runoff, using the existing landscape grades and the proposed grading improvements to move water away from the garage area. This complements the underground downspout drainage by addressing surface water that may otherwise collect or move toward the structure.

The surrounding area will be graded as needed to establish the intended drainage direction while maintaining a practical transition into the existing landscape.

Coordinating Underground and Surface Drainage

One of the key aspects of this project is addressing multiple sources and types of water rather than relying on a single drainage component. The window well improvements address water around the below-grade openings, the flexible PVC helps direct water away from the southwest foundation area, and the solid PVC downspout connection manages roof runoff.

The new swale adds another layer of surface drainage by directing water south of the garage eastbound and away from the structure. Together, these improvements create a more organized approach to managing water around the home.

Landscape Restoration

Drainage work often requires temporary disturbance to the surrounding landscape. Existing gravel and landscape materials will be relocated as necessary during excavation and grading, then reinstalled once the work is completed.

The goal is to complete the drainage improvements while maintaining the existing landscape elements wherever practical. Once the underground piping, grading, and swale work are completed, the disturbed areas will be cleaned up and the existing landscape materials restored.

Why Foundation Drainage Matters

Water management around a home’s foundation is about controlling where water collects and where it travels. Window wells, downspouts, low areas, and improperly directed surface runoff can all contribute to water remaining close to the foundation.

This project takes a coordinated approach by improving window well drainage, directing roof runoff through underground piping, adjusting the grade along the foundation, and creating a swale to redirect surface water near the garage.

The objective is to provide more effective drainage routes and reduce unnecessary water concentration around the home and its foundation.

Project Highlights

• Drainage improvement project in Glencoe, IL.
• Cleaned debris from existing window wells.
• Located existing window well drains where accessible.
• Added clean drainage gravel within the window wells.
• Excavated around the southwest window well for drainage improvements.
• Installed flexible PVC to help direct water away from the foundation.
• Temporarily relocated existing gravel and landscape materials during construction.
• Added approximately 1/2 cubic yard of soil to raise the grade along the foundation.
• Established positive drainage away from the home.
• Reinstalled existing landscape fabric and gravel after grading.
• Added a leaf guard to the southwest downspout.
• Connected the downspout to approximately 40 linear feet of solid 4-inch PVC.
• Directed roof runoff away from the home and toward the backyard.
• Constructed a swale south of the garage to redirect surface water eastbound.
• Combined foundation grading, window well drainage, underground piping, and surface drainage
• improvements into one coordinated system.

As you browse through the photos, you can see how the drainage improvements are integrated into the existing landscape rather than treating each water issue as a separate problem. From the window wells and foundation grading to the underground downspout connection and garage-area swale, each part of the project contributes to a more organized water-management system.

The completed work provides the property with improved drainage routes around the foundation and garage area while maintaining the existing landscape materials wherever possible. This project is another example of how Tommy Pollina Landscape Co. approaches drainage by engineering and installing practical systems that address water movement throughout the property.

 

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