Work in progress: Window Well grates

admin

The Millermatic 252 is scheduled to arrive tomorrow!  I won't be able to fire it up immediately, as I need to get a tank (I have a line on a privately owwned tank, just have to find out if I can have it filled locally) and I need to run a 220 power line to the garage. Dad had one installed, but when he rented, the tenants took it out, so there is space in the breaker box, and along the wall to the garage, plus a hole drilled through the wall to the garage.  He had a pretty big air compressor hooked up, but I obviously need to find out if the breaker can handle the MM 252.I need a good grinder, will probably pick one up from a pawn shop. Short on funds ATM - it all went into the welder! I also need to make an extension cord, as I cannot use the welder in the garage, theres maybe 3' x 6' of space, and too many combustibles, plus a VW Camper Bus awaiting restoration (brothers project)I'd like to clean out the garage, but its not my house. I'm just house sitting while the parents are retired in Australia.  They rented it out for a few years, but after the tenants did 10K in flood damage to the basement (off limits to them, my parents stuff was down there) and neglected to tell us so we could check for damage, mom refuses to rent again. I'd like to make a 50 foot extension cord to run the welder in the carport (attached to the garage) or even in the driveway on a calm no wind day.  I'll have to check the prices, but if I could afford it, 100 feet is even better.  Not being much of an electrician, is this going to cause issues?So, project 1. Window well covers. The covers dad has now are wood frame, with wire mesh stapled. Wont hold more than 50 pounds, I'd say. The one in the back yard is severely bowed as a result of a hose having laid on it for a year or so.  I dont trust them at all.  Front yard is completely unfenced, back yard is completely fenced.I will post complete pics later when the lighting is better. It has rained all day (GOOD! We need it!) so the measurements had to wait till the rain stopped.The window well measurements are as follows (in inches):Front of house:House end: 52 9/16Lawn end: 52 7/16Left side: 30 9/16Right side: 30 13/16Back of house:House end: 54 1/16Lawn end: 53Left side: 26 5/16Right side: 26 5/16There is a lip set about 3 or 4 inches down that is 1.5 inches wide around the left, right and lawn side.  I only measured the lip in the back yard, as the wood frame was swollen tight to the window well due to rain in the front yard. I'll pull it and measure again when it shrinks down some.I have some 1 1/4 inch tubing I will use for the frame. With the 1.5 inch lip, I have a quarter inch to play with - I'd rather not have the grates hang over the edge of the lip. The grate does need to be easily removable, as the windows are possible fire exits.I have a couple pieces of unused railing with half inch pickets that I will use across the frame.  I want to make the covers useable as a ladder to climb out the window well. My mother has a sewing room in the basement, and at 67 years old, would not be able to climb out of the 4 foot window well unassisted.  Problem is, I'm worried that leaving enough space between pickets for use as a makeshift ladder will also leave enough space for a child to drop a foot through.This fear may be ungrounded, as we played football and whiffleball around those uncovered window wells for years as kids and no one ever fell in.  Dad only covered them when he was preparing to rent.  Tenants kids never fell through the cheapies he made.Am I correct in worrying about the gaps in a ladder grating, or should I just let it go?  Is there a work around?I will post pics tomorrow of the window wells as they are now, and will update the project as I proceed.Last edited by Daeyel; 02-27-2014 at 06:22 PM.
Reply:I always built a grate and the ladder was bolted to the inner wall of the well. I don't think it's a good idea to have to remove the grate and try to orient it to be used as a ladder in an emergency. If there is a lot of smoke, for example, the person may not even be able to see which way it goes.
Reply:Originally Posted by DaeyelThe Millermatic 252 is scheduled to arrive tomorrow!  I won't be able to fire it up immediately, as I need to get a tank (I have a line on a privately owwned tank, just have to find out if I can have it filled locally) and I need to run a 220 power line to the garage. Dad had one installed, but when he rented, the tenants took it out, so there is space in the breaker box, and along the wall to the garage, plus a hole drilled through the wall to the garage.  He had a pretty big air compressor hooked up, but I obviously need to find out if the breaker can handle the MM 252.I need a good grinder, will probably pick one up from a pawn shop. Short on funds ATM - it all went into the welder! I also need to make an extension cord, as I cannot use the welder in the garage, theres maybe 3' x 6' of space, and too many combustibles, plus a VW Camper Bus awaiting restoration (brothers project)I'd like to clean out the garage, but its not my house. I'm just house sitting while the parents are retired in Australia.  They rented it out for a few years, but after the tenants did 10K in flood damage to the basement (off limits to them, my parents stuff was down there) and neglected to tell us so we could check for damage, mom refuses to rent again. I'd like to make a 50 foot extension cord to run the welder in the carport (attached to the garage) or even in the driveway on a calm no wind day.  I'll have to check the prices, but if I could afford it, 100 feet is even better.  Not being much of an electrician, is this going to cause issues?So, project 1. Window well covers. The covers dad has now are wood frame, with wire mesh stapled. Wont hold more than 50 pounds, I'd say. The one in the back yard is severely bowed as a result of a hose having laid on it for a year or so.  I dont trust them at all.  Front yard is completely unfenced, back yard is completely fenced.I will post complete pics later when the lighting is better. It has rained all day (GOOD! We need it!) so the measurements had to wait till the rain stopped.The window well measurements are as follows (in inches):Front of house:House end: 52 9/16Lawn end: 52 7/16Left side: 30 9/16Right side: 30 13/16Back of house:House end: 54 1/16Lawn end: 53Left side: 26 5/16Right side: 26 5/16There is a lip set about 3 or 4 inches down that is 1.5 inches wide around the left, right and lawn side.  I only measured the lip in the back yard, as the wood frame was swollen tight to the window well due to rain in the front yard. I'll pull it and measure again when it shrinks down some.I have some 1 1/4 inch tubing I will use for the frame. With the 1.5 inch lip, I have a quarter inch to play with - I'd rather not have the grates hang over the edge of the lip. The grate does need to be easily removable, as the windows are possible fire exits.I have a couple pieces of unused railing with half inch pickets that I will use across the frame.  I want to make the covers useable as a ladder to climb out the window well. My mother has a sewing room in the basement, and at 67 years old, would not be able to climb out of the 4 foot window well unassisted.  Problem is, I'm worried that leaving enough space between pickets for use as a makeshift ladder will also leave enough space for a child to drop a foot through.This fear may be ungrounded, as we played football and whiffleball around those uncovered window wells for years as kids and no one ever fell in.  Dad only covered them when he was preparing to rent.  Tenants kids never fell through the cheapies he made.Am I correct in worrying about the gaps in a ladder grating, or should I just let it go?  Is there a work around?I will post pics tomorrow of the window wells as they are now, and will update the project as I proceed.
Reply:Condensed questions version:Am I correct in worrying about the gaps in a grating made to be used as a ladder, or should I just let it go? Is there a work around?I'd like to make a 50 foot extension cord to run the welder in the carport (attached to the garage) or even in the driveway on a calm no wind day. I'll have to check the prices, but if I could afford it, 100 feet is even better. Not being much of an electrician, is this going to cause issues?Here's the pics I promised yesterday:Front window wellDad's current window well cover. No bueno. Back window well, allowing you to see the depth of the lip My materials - and only a hacksaw to cut with.   That long leg is 15 feet or so, and the short leg is about 10, plus the middle bars. Here is the railing. The pickets will be used across the frame, and will form the rungs of the ladder.  This is pretty close to the cover I want to make, actually, just the thicker 1.5 tubing for a frame. Last edited by Daeyel; 02-28-2014 at 03:39 PM.
Reply:Had to add these images of the railing. Not sure if you call those welds or tacks?
Reply:it may be an exaggeration to call those tacks.i.u.o.e. # 15queens, ny and sunny fla