Serving Ketchikan
Groundwater & Basement Water Intrusion in Ketchikan, AK
Basement seepage, failed sumps, and hydrostatic pressure against the foundation are extracted and dried, and the path from the ground is identified so the loss does not repeat. Groundwater and basement seepage are extracted and dried only after the path from the soil is identified — a wall, a slab, a drain, or a failed sump. Drying the interior without stopping that path returns the same water to the same floor.
Frequently asked questions
How different is a hundred and fifty inches really?
It changes the problem rather than the scale of it. In most places a building gets dry spells during which minor water damage resolves itself and small leaks reveal nothing. Here it does not, so anything wet stays wet and a defect that would be trivial elsewhere progresses steadily. The practical consequence is that maintenance intervals that are adequate elsewhere are not adequate here.
The rock behind the building sheds straight onto it.
With a slope that steep and that close, everything landing above arrives at the back wall rather than soaking in on the way. That is the dominant source for many buildings here, well ahead of the roof. Interception at the base of the rock, taken around the structure and discharged well clear, is the piece of work that changes the situation. Gutters address a much smaller share.
What does a rainfall figure like this mean for a wooden building?
That the details matter more than the materials do. Wood under permanent moisture depends entirely on being able to shed water and on air being able to move around it, so a blocked gap, a flashing that lifts, or a deck built tight against a wall does far more damage here than the same detail would in a drier place. Keeping things ventilated and drained is the whole discipline.
Open the Ketchikan FAQ beside the housing and climate notes.