Water Damage Restoration on Westhill, Bothell

Water damage restoration on Westhill in Bothell often starts in the lower level. The neighborhood climbs the slope west of downtown toward the Kenmore line, and many of its homes date from the 1960s and 1970s: split-levels and daylight-basement houses built into the hillside so the front door is on one level and the back opens a floor lower. Through our referral line (opening soon), you can be connected with an independent local restoration provider who handles both the water and the drying.

What goes wrong on a hillside

Westhill's soils are mostly dense glacial till that drains slowly. In a normal winter, water moving downhill through the ground is carried away by footing drains around each foundation. Those drains are now fifty or more years old in many cases, and when they silt up or roots get in, water presses against basement walls and seeps in at the cold joint where the wall meets the slab. The result is a wet strip of carpet along the uphill wall of the family room, often after the second or third big storm of the season.

The other hillside problems are about surface water: downspouts that empty at the foundation, driveways that slope toward the garage, and lower-level patio doors that sit below the level of the yard. When an atmospheric river drops a few inches in a day, all of these get tested at once.

Inside the house

Original plumbing in many Westhill homes has been partly updated, but it is common to find a mix of copper, galvanized and older plastic lines. Water heaters in garages and laundry rooms on the lower level add to the list. See water heater leaks and flooded basement cleanup.

Drying a lower level

Below-grade rooms dry more slowly than upstairs ones because concrete holds water and cool basement air holds less of it. Providers usually remove the carpet pad and the bottom of the drywall along wet walls, then run dehumidifiers for several days. Ask for daily readings and do not let new flooring go in until the slab is confirmed dry.

Bothell Fire Department covers Westhill for emergencies. For restoration after the water is stopped, email info@bothellwaterdamagewa.com while our phone line is being set up.

Related: rain water intrusion · crawl spaces · water damage restoration Bothell