Downtown Vancouver is the oldest part of the oldest non-Indian settlement in the Pacific Northwest. The Hudson's Bay Company built Fort Vancouver in 1825, the U.S. Army barracks and Officers Row date to 1849, and Esther Short Park, established in 1853, is the oldest public park in Washington. Pearson Field nearby is the oldest continually operating airfield in the West. Vancouver Waterproofing LLC helps owners of older homes and buildings in and around downtown with wet basements, damp crawl spaces and foundation drainage.
Why older downtown buildings have moisture problems
Buildings with long histories were built before modern waterproofing and drainage practices, and they often sit on foundations of brick, stone or early concrete. Those materials let moisture through more readily than modern foundations, and they can crack and shift over time. Brick has a long local history, including the Hidden Brick Company, founded in 1871, which supplied brick for buildings in the city. Older masonry behaves differently from modern concrete, so the repair method should suit the material and not trap moisture inside the wall.
The Columbia River and groundwater
Downtown sits on the Columbia River floodplain. A major alluvial aquifer lies under the floodplain around Vancouver, partly recharged by water seeping in from the river, according to a USGS study. For a building close to the river, that means groundwater can be a factor in a damp basement or crawl space in a way it is not for a house higher up the hill. It is one of the things an inspection looks at, along with runoff and drainage.
Signs to look for
- Damp walls or floors in a basement, or a persistent damp smell
- White powder or flaking on brick and stone walls
- Crumbling or soft mortar joints
- Standing water or wet soil in a crawl space
- Damp insulation, mold or peeling paint near the foundation
What we can do for downtown properties
- Interior waterproofing solutions: drainage collected inside and sent to a sump, which suits buildings where exterior access is limited
- Basement waterproofing: controlling water at walls and floors
- Foundation waterproofing: sealing cracks and other entry points
- Crawl space waterproofing: ground cover and drainage for wet crawl spaces
- Sump pump installation: removal of water collecting below grade
Contact Vancouver Waterproofing LLC to describe the problem in your downtown Vancouver property and to arrange an inspection.
Related services and guides
- Services: basement waterproofing, interior waterproofing solutions, foundation waterproofing, sump pump installation, crawl space waterproofing and exterior drainage systems
- Guides: signs of moisture problems after heavy rain, soil, groundwater and drainage near the Columbia River and how to check crawl space humidity
- Nearby areas: Uptown Village, Hazel Dell, Orchards and Felida
Not sure where to start? Contact us and describe what you see.
Around Downtown Vancouver
We regularly work near:
- 📍Esther Short Park
- 📍Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
- 📍Officers Row
- 📍Pearson Field
- 📍Vancouver Waterfront
Waterproofing Vancouver in Downtown Vancouver — Local Notes
- •Fort Vancouver was founded in 1825 and Officers Row dates to 1849, which makes downtown one of the oldest built areas in the Northwest.
- •Esther Short Park, established in 1853, is the oldest public park in Washington.
- •A major alluvial aquifer lies under the Columbia River floodplain near Vancouver and is partly recharged by the river.
- •Older brick and stone foundations need repair methods that suit the material.