Practical advice on cleanup, insurance claims, mold prevention, and storm prep, written by the crew that does the work.
Crawl-space construction is common across Bothell, more common than slab foundations in much of the city's older housing stock, and it hides water damage longer than almost any other part of a home.
Read more → INSURANCE GUIDECall and document the damage before moving anything, that's the first step regardless of what your policy covers. Once you've done that, here's what typically is and isn't covered, and what Washington requires of your insurer along the way.
Read more → EMERGENCY GUIDEWhat you do in the first 24 hours after water damage has a real effect on how much it costs to fix and whether mold becomes part of the problem. Here's the order that actually matters.
Read more → HOMEOWNER GUIDEWater damage doesn't always announce itself with a flood. Most of the time it starts small, behind a wall or under a floor, and grows for weeks before anyone notices. Here are the seven signs Bothell homeowners should watch for.
Read more → BUYER'S GUIDEAnyone can put "water damage restoration" on a truck. The difference between a company that does the job right and one that doesn't usually shows up in the details, not the advertising. Here's what to actually check before you hire.
Read more → MOLD GUIDEMold doesn't need much time or much encouragement once water damage happens, and Bothell's wet Pacific Northwest climate makes the window even shorter. Here's what actually matters once water has been sitting in your home.
Read more → SEASONAL GUIDESeattle-area cold snaps are infrequent, but they're not theoretical. Seattle Public Utilities logged 116 "no water" reports between December 25, 2021 and January 2, 2022, some tied to burst pipes, and a major lowland snow event hit the region again in February 2019. Pacific Northwest homes simply aren't built with the same freeze-protection as colder climates, since extended freezes are rare but not impossible here.
Read more → BEFORE YOU CALLMost homeowners only hire a water damage company once or twice in their lives, usually under stress, which makes it hard to know what to ask. Bring this list to your next call.
Read more → NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDENot every Bothell neighborhood faces the same flood risk. The Sammamish River and North Creek create distinct exposure patterns depending on how close a property sits to each, and the two sources don't behave the same way.
Read more → FLOOD GUIDEHeavy rain can hit Bothell harder than many homeowners expect. The Sammamish River runs directly through the city, and North Creek joins it within Bothell's limits, which means some properties face flood risk from two directions at once, not just generic runoff from a storm.
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