Serving Boulder
Groundwater & Basement Water Intrusion in Boulder, CO
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
The annual precipitation here is tiny. Why is flooding a serious hazard?
Because the distribution matters far more than the average. This location sits at the mouth of a steep canyon draining a large mountain area, and an upslope system can stall against the range and deliver a substantial fraction of the annual total in a day or two. That water arrives concentrated through the canyon. The annual figure describes a semi-arid climate and tells you almost nothing about the size of the event that eventually arrives.
Our downspouts discharge next to the house. Does that matter here?
More than in most climates, because of the soil. Front Range claystone swells when wetted, and foundations here are built on the assumption that the backfill stays relatively dry. Repeatedly wetting the soil next to a wall with roof runoff drives movement that shows up as cracks and stuck doors years later. Extending discharges well away from the foundation is one of the highest-value low-cost actions available on this ground.
We had hail last month and now there is a ceiling stain.
That is a common sequence and the two events are connected even though they are weeks apart. Hail can bruise or fracture a roof covering without opening it visibly, and the next significant rain finds the weakened area. Because the damage appears later, it often gets treated as a separate roof failure. Having a roof inspected after a hail event, rather than waiting for an interior symptom, prevents most of the resulting interior work.
These questions come from the Boulder page.