Crawlspace water near Frontier Villageshared spaces and paved runoff

Some attached homes share a single crawlspace, or have connected bays with one or two access points. This matters for two reasons. First, water and damp air move freely between units, so the problem may start under someone else's home. Second, the space is often counted as common property, which can mean that you cannot simply hire someone to go in and start working.

If you notice a musty smell or a cold floor, tell the manager or association in writing, and ask where the access is. They may have the key or the hatch may be in somebody else's closet. If you rent, this belongs with your landlord. Our main crawlspace water damage page has the general picture of what the job involves; the difference here is mostly about who decides and who has to be involved.

The commercial core around Frontier Village has a lot of hard surface. Rain does not soak into roofs and pavement, so it runs quickly to drains and swales, and then on to whatever comes next. If a catch basin clogs with leaves or a storm line backs up, then the water may pond along the edge of the nearest building. For residents on the low side of a parking lot or a sloped driveway, this can mean water soaking into the ground beside the foundation and turning up under the floor.

Published Everett normals put November at about 5.8 inches, with similar wet weeks in December and January. Take a photograph of any ponding while it is happening, because it is very hard to prove afterward. Report blocked drains to whoever owns that property, and if it is on a public street, tell the city. A pattern of photos with dates, gathered over one winter, can be a strong basis for asking someone to look at their drainage.

Air from a crawlspace rises into the homes above it, so a damp shared space can make more than one unit smell musty. Washington's Department of Health advises professional help when mold is hidden or covers more than an area of 3 by 3 feet, and when sewage is involved. ^[3] Anyone with asthma or a weakened immune system should mention it to the manager early on. If a sewage smell comes up through the floors, stop using the plumbing and tell the manager at once.

It can be difficult when neighbors see things differently. One household notices a smell and another does not, and that does not mean nothing is wrong. Stick with the facts: what you noticed, when you noticed it and what you have asked for. Keep copies of your messages.

Check the contractor on Washington L&I's Verify tool before work starts, and ask the association if it needs certificates. ^[6] If structural repairs are needed, ask whether the work needs a city permit. A typical home policy does not cover flooding, the state regulator says, so ask how your own policy and any association policy treat water from outside. ^[5] A plumbing leak can be treated quite differently, so try to pin down the source first.