Small houses, small basements, a lot of remodeling
Platt Park grew in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and much of its housing is modest in size: one-story bungalows, small brick cottages and some foursquares, many on narrow lots with alleys. As the neighborhood has become more sought-after, owners have pushed these small houses to work harder. Basements have been dug out, finished, and fitted with bedrooms and bathrooms, and many houses have pop-tops or rear additions.
Small basements leave less margin. In a compact bungalow, the laundry, the water heater, the floor drain and a finished bedroom may all share a few hundred square feet, so water from any source reaches the living space almost immediately. Basements that were lowered or dug out to gain ceiling height may have new slab sections joined to old foundation walls, and those joints are common seepage points.
Along South Pearl Street, older one- and two-story commercial buildings hold restaurants, shops and offices. Many have basements used for storage or kitchens, and some have apartments above.
Homes and storefronts face different problems
| Platt Park houses | South Pearl commercial buildings |
|---|---|
| Floor drain backups from older laterals | Restaurant grease in drain lines contributing to backups |
| Small finished basements with no buffer space | Basement storage of inventory and equipment |
| Dug-out basements with seams between old and new concrete | Upper-floor apartments leaking into shops below |
| Pop-top roof seams and upstairs bathrooms added later | Flat or low-slope roofs on older storefronts |
Who to contact for common Platt Park situations
- Situation
- Backup in a house floor drain
- First contact
- Licensed plumber or sewer contractor
- Also involve
- Your insurer; Denver 311 if several neighbors are affected
- Situation
- Water in a dug-out basement after rain
- First contact
- Drainage or foundation contractor
- Also involve
- A restorer if finishes are wet
- Situation
- Leak from an apartment above a shop
- First contact
- Building owner or manager
- Also involve
- Each party's insurer
- Situation
- Water in a shop basement holding stock
- First contact
- Building owner and a restorer
- Also involve
- Business insurer, with an inventory of affected goods
- Situation
- Rebuild after drying
- First contact
- A contractor
- Also involve
- City and County of Denver for any required permits
Confirm current contacts with each organization.
Questions for Platt Park owners and tenants
- If your basement was dug out, do you have records showing how the new slab meets the old walls?
- Does your small basement have any space where water can collect before it reaches finished rooms?
- If you run a business on South Pearl, does your lease say who handles water damage in the basement?
- If you live above a shop, do you know where your unit's water shutoff is?
- Has the alley side of your lot been checked for runoff toward a garage or back stairwell?
General information for Washington Park, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.