Home Repair in Seattle

Seattle is an amazing place to live and work. The vibrant city life, the gorgeous views of the Sound, the treks to Rainer, and an abundance of fresh seafood are just a few of the perks of living in the Emerald City.

But just like everywhere else, life in Seattle comes with its challenges, especially if you’re a property owner. Here’s how you can best tackle the unique home problems you’ll find around here.

Taking care of the sewers

Seattle is unique in that property owners — not the city — are required to maintain the side sewer pipes around their home or business. These include even the pipes that run under streets and sidewalks, and the responsibility doesn’t end until the pipe reaches the main city sewer line.

The problem: Seattle is not a very old city, and the side sewer pipes that run under the streets are nearly all original and made of concrete. Concrete only lasts about 80 years, and that expiration date is coming up fast for most of them. This means sewer pipe issues are a growing problem that every property owner needs to have on their radar.

To complicate matters, the constant Seattle rain can make working on the pipes tricky and difficult. Wet earth slides around, sometimes dislodging pipes made of PVC and making it difficult to dig trenches. The pipe network is also confusing and complicated, often running back and forth under properties in a manner difficult to predict.

What to do about it: If you own property in Seattle, it pays to be proactive about taking care of your sewer lines. The city provides a tool that allows you to look up all the sewer lines and cards. With it, you can see what you are responsible for and where the pipes lie across your property.

Make sure you know who to call for sewer repair in Seattle, and even if you’re not currently experiencing a problem, consider getting an inspection to find out where you stand. Once you do need repairs, you have to get a city permit and work with a contractor who is registered to do the work.

Maintaining the roof

Most of us take the roof over our head for granted, whether we’re at home or at the office. But failing to take care of a roof can be a costly and even dangerous mistake. Roofing needs to be regularly inspected, and there are unique Seattle problems which affect your roof.

The problem: It really all boils down to one big issue, and that’s weather. Seattle’s constant damp is hard on roofing materials. One big problem for roofs in this area is standing water. The water rarely has a chance to evaporate, and standing water can eat away at the roof and eventually find its way inside.

Other serious issues are mildew, mold, algae, and moss. These all grow on roofs because of the excess moisture and often cloudy conditions. Moss and algae eat away at your roof, lower your property values, and even turn away customers. Mold and mildew can exacerbate allergies and present a serious health hazard.

What to do about it: Look for professionals in commercial roofing in Seattle, WA and make sure you are getting regular inspections of your roof. The inspector should check for leaks and identify (and kill) any patches of mold or mildew. If you have a moss issue, your roofers should be able to clean that off and restore your roof to a pristine look.

Anyone who lives here comes to love the laid back lifestyle, the endlessly beautiful vistas, and the whole city culture. Don’t let property issues detract from your enjoyment of this wonderful town: keep on top of them regularly and you can often avoid costly surprises later.