Water Damage Restoration
Extraction, structural drying and moisture verification after burst pipes, appliance failures and basement flooding.
Learn more →The Lakewood failure mode
Most water damage marketing is written about dramatic failures — the pipe that splits and floods a basement in an hour. Lakewood's characteristic loss is the opposite.
A large share of the city's housing was built between 1950 and 1970 with galvanized steel supply lines. Galvanized corrodes internally over decades and fails at the threaded joints, producing pinholes rather than ruptures. The water goes into a wall cavity, soaks the framing and the back of the drywall, wicks down into the bottom plate and the subfloor, and does all of that silently.
By the time there is staining, bubbling paint or a musty smell, the moisture has been there for weeks. Two consequences follow. First, mold is almost always already present, so the job includes remediation and not just drying. Second, the insurance conversation is harder, because carriers distinguish between sudden accidental damage and gradual damage, and a six-week leak is arguable either way.
What to do when you find one
Shut the water off at the main. Do not open the wall yourself — you will destroy evidence the adjuster needs and you may spread spores through the house without containment. Photograph everything, including the meter reading and the water bill history if you have it. Then call, and call your carrier, in that order, so you can describe the damage accurately.
The process
Moisture mapping first: thermal imaging and meter readings to find the full extent, which is almost always larger than the visible stain. Classification to an IICRC category and drying class. Controlled removal of affected material under containment if mold is present. Extraction of any standing water. Structural drying with air movers, dehumidifiers, and cavity drying where the wall can be saved. Daily moisture readings until affected framing matches unaffected baseline. Then rebuild.
The other Lakewood water
Winter bursts in unheated crawlspaces and garages, following the same freeze-thaw pattern as the rest of the metro. See burst pipe cleanup.
Gulch runoff. Bear Creek, Weir Gulch and Lakewood Gulch carry fast runoff off Green Mountain and the hogback during monsoon storms. Ground-surface water is contaminated by default and is handled as flood cleanup.
Sewer backups in the older stretches along West Colfax, where clay laterals and mature trees produce the same root intrusion seen in Denver's pre-war neighborhoods.
Cost
Lakewood runs on Denver-metro rates, typically $1,500 to $7,500. Hidden-leak jobs skew higher than the equivalent visible loss because the damage has already reached framing and subfloor. Drywall repair runs $500 to $2,500, subfloor adds $500 to $1,000, and adding mold remediation runs $1,100 to $3,400 or more. See the cost guide.
Coverage is listed by Lakewood ZIP code, other local services are on the Lakewood hub, and insurance detail is in the claims guide.
More services
Explore our other services
Fire & Smoke Damage
Soot removal, odor control and cleanup of the firefighting water that usually does more damage than the flames.
Learn more →Mold Remediation
Containment, removal and moisture-source correction when water sat long enough for mold to take hold.
Learn more →Storm & Hail Damage
Roof tarping, water intrusion cleanup and documentation after Front Range hail and wind events.
Learn more →Sewage Cleanup
Category 3 backups handled with containment, full removal of porous materials and disinfection.
Learn more →Structural Drying
Air movers, dehumidifiers and daily moisture readings until framing, subfloor and drywall hit dry standard.
Learn more →
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
How do I find a hidden leak?
Watch the water meter with every fixture off; if it moves, something is running. Look for staining, bubbling paint, warped baseboard, a musty smell, or a warm or cold patch on a wall. Thermal imaging and moisture meters find the rest. An unexplained jump in the water bill is often the first real signal.
Should I repipe if my house still has galvanized?
If the house is from the 1950s or 1960s and has original galvanized supply lines, it is a question of when rather than whether. Repiping is disruptive and not cheap, but it is cheaper than two hidden leaks and the mold remediation that follows the second one. Get a plumber to scope the condition first.
Is a slow leak covered by insurance?
Often not, and this is the hard part. Policies generally cover sudden and accidental damage. A leak that has been running for weeks or months can be classified as gradual damage or deferred maintenance and denied. Finding leaks early is a coverage strategy as much as a repair one.
How long does drying take here?
A contained clean-water room is two to three days. A finished basement with wet carpet pad and drywall is five to seven. Where a hidden leak has saturated framing and subfloor over weeks, Class 4 bound water in the structure can run seven days or more.
Free, no-obligation