Heavy rain pushes water up a floor drain in an older Portland basement
What homeowners notice
After a long soaking rain, a household in a neighborhood served by a combined sewer finds dark, smelly water rising through the basement floor drain and spreading across the laundry corner.
What we do
The technician treats the water as contaminated, pumps it out in protective gear, removes the wet carpet remnant, pad and the base of the drywall, then cleans and disinfects the slab and framing before setting dehumidifiers and air movers.
What to expect
Readings are logged until the slab and walls match a dry reference, and the owner receives photographs and a list of removed materials for the city's claim route or an insurer.
A creek rise sends silty water into a low Milwaukie basement
What homeowners notice
After days of heavy rain a creekside lot takes water through a basement window well, leaving an inch or two of muddy water and a gritty film on the floor and the bottom of the stairs.
What we do
Crews in protective gear lower the water in stages, shovel out silt, remove carpet, pad and wet drywall, wash and disinfect the concrete and framing, and then dry the space with dehumidifiers and air movers.
What to expect
The homeowner gets photographs, a moisture log and an itemized removal list, with flood coverage left to the insurer and the window well flagged for a drainage contractor.
Winter ground water pools in a Beaverton crawl space
What homeowners notice
A musty smell comes up through the floor registers, and the hardwood in the hallway has started to cup. Through the access hatch the crawl space shows a pool of water and insulation hanging from the joists.
What we do
The technician pumps the standing water, removes the sagging insulation and torn plastic, then runs dehumidifiers and air movers while checking joist and subfloor readings on each visit.
What to expect
The framing reaches its dry readings, and a note about the gutter discharge and grading near the foundation goes to the owner for a drainage contractor.
A line in an exterior wall splits as an ice storm thaws in Gresham
What homeowners notice
On the first mild afternoon after several freezing days, a homeowner hears running water and finds the kitchen floor wet and a ceiling stain spreading in the room below.
What we do
With the main closed, the technician extracts water, traces the path with a meter and thermal camera, removes wet insulation and the lower drywall in the wall cavity, and sets dehumidifiers and air movers on both floors.
What to expect
Readings reach the dry target after several visits, a plumber repairs the pipe, and rebuilding of the wall is quoted separately.
Rising ground water reaches the lower level of a Vancouver house
What homeowners notice
After a long wet spell near the river, water seeps through the floor joint of a finished lower level, and the carpet along one wall is cold and soft.
What we do
The technician extracts the water, lifts the wet carpet and pad, cuts the bottom of the drywall back above the wet line and dries the slab and framing with dehumidifiers and air movers.
What to expect
The owner receives readings and photographs, and is told to ask a Washington agent how the policy treats seepage, with contractor checks done through the state's Department of Labor & Industries.
Slope water seeps through the uphill wall of a Lake Oswego basement
What homeowners notice
A hillside house with a basement cut into the slope begins to show a damp, mineral-streaked uphill wall after a week of rain, with a wet strip along the carpet edge.
What we do
The technician pumps the small amount of standing water, removes the wet carpet edge and pad, maps the wall with a meter and records cracks with dated photographs before drying the room.
What to expect
The records go to the owner for a drainage contractor and an engineer, and the room is dried to its reference readings.
A leaking vent boot soaks attic insulation above a Happy Valley bedroom
What homeowners notice
A brown ring grows on a bedroom ceiling after weeks of steady rain. In the attic the insulation around a roof vent is dark and flattened, and the rafter beside it is wet.
What we do
The technician traces the moisture with a meter and thermal camera, removes the soaked insulation and a section of sagging ceiling drywall, and dries the framing while a roofer repairs the vent flashing.
What to expect
Readings on the rafters and ceiling reach their dry target, and the opening is left clean for a drywall contractor.
A washing machine hose lets go in an Aloha townhome and reaches the unit below
What homeowners notice
A braided supply hose splits while a household is out. The laundry closet floor is soaked, and the neighbor downstairs finds a stain spreading on the ceiling.
What we do
With the valve closed, the technician extracts water, lifts the damp vinyl at the closet edge, maps the floor and the ceiling below with a meter, and sets air movers and dehumidifiers in both units.
What to expect
Both households receive photographs and moisture logs for the building manager and their insurers, and an appliance technician replaces the hose.
A supply line fails in the back room of an older masonry shop in Portland
What homeowners notice
A shop owner finds water spreading from a back storage room toward the sales floor at opening time, with stock on low shelves and a basement stairwell wall wet.
What we do
After the line is closed, the technician moves stock, extracts water, maps the walls and slab, and phases the drying so the sales floor can keep trading while the back room is dried.
What to expect
The owner receives a log of readings and photographs for the landlord and insurer, and rebuilding is quoted separately after drying.
4 to 6 days typical visit
Have the same problem?
Call and tell us what you see. We will tell you what it likely is and what it usually costs before anyone drives out.
