Eugene, Oregon water damage restorationincluding Springfield, across the river

Eugene is one of the wetter cities in the Willamette Valley. Average annual precipitation is about 40.8 inches, and December is the wettest month at roughly 7.2 inches, followed by January and November at around six each. Spring and fall are damp as well. Summers are dry.

Year-to-year swings are large. The wettest rain year on record, from July 1973 to June 1974, brought about 75.6 inches; the driest, 2000 to 2001, about 20.4. Recent averages have been somewhat lower than older ones, but a wet winter in Eugene still means months of saturated ground.

Snow is sporadic. The normal seasonal total is about five inches, but the median is zero. The record, 41.7 inches, came during a Pineapple Express event in January 1969. Ice storms are rare but do happen, and they bring frozen pipes and fallen trees.

For water damage, the long wet season means groundwater and surface water problems in winter, slow drying when the air outside is damp and occasional cold-snap pipe bursts in houses not built for freezing.

Two major rivers meet beside Eugene and Springfield. The Willamette runs north through both cities, and the McKenzie comes in from the east, flowing past Springfield before joining it. Early settlers were advised by the Kalapuya to build on higher ground to avoid flooding, and the rivers still shape where flood risk is highest.

Amazon Creek is the best-known stream inside Eugene. It starts near Spencer Butte south of the city, runs through south and west Eugene and flows on to the Long Tom River north of Fern Ridge Reservoir. Much of it runs in an engineered channel built to carry stormwater, and homes along it can see high water in intense storms.

Fern Ridge Reservoir, west of Eugene, is maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for winter flood control. Dams on Willamette and McKenzie tributaries reduce peak flows on the big rivers, but they do not stop local stormwater flooding or groundwater rising under houses.

Homeowners near the rivers or Amazon Creek should check whether their property is in a mapped flood hazard area and think about flood insurance.

Eugene is a university town, and a large share of housing near campus is rented, often to students. Older rental houses with aging plumbing, washing machines that run constantly and tenants who may be away for weeks over winter break create a particular pattern: leaks that go unreported, and pipes that freeze in houses left with the heat turned down over the holidays.

If you rent, report leaks to your landlord right away, in writing as well as by phone, and photograph them. Before leaving for winter break, ask your landlord what temperature the heat should stay at, and do not turn it off. Renters insurance is what covers your belongings; the owner's policy covers the building.

If you own rental property, make sure tenants know where the main shutoff is, insulate exposed pipes and check on vacant units during cold snaps. A small drip found early is far easier than a burst pipe found after a two-week break.

Ice storms are rare in Eugene but do occur, and when they do, they are disruptive. Ice-laden branches from the area's many large trees fall onto power lines and roofs. Houses lose heat, and pipes in crawlspaces and exterior walls freeze. When the thaw comes, the leaks appear.

February 2021 brought snow and ice across western Oregon, with ice accumulation of up to an inch and a half reported in parts of the state. Events like that are the main source of burst pipe claims west of the Cascades.

Before winter, insulate exposed pipes and disconnect garden hoses. During a hard freeze, let faucets on outside walls drip and open sink cabinets. If a pipe goes, see burst pipe water damage.

Springfield sits east of Eugene between the Willamette and the McKenzie, and both rivers run through or alongside it. It shares Eugene's climate and its mix of postwar housing over crawlspaces, with an older core near downtown and newer subdivisions toward the east.

Neighbourhoods closer to the rivers should know their flood zone. Away from the rivers, the typical problems are the same as in Eugene: crawlspace water during long wet spells, plumbing failures and occasional frozen pipes.

Covered Springfield ZIP codes are included in this service. Tell the contractor your address when you call so they can confirm.

With December averaging over seven inches of rain, a Eugene house that gets wet in winter is drying against damp outdoor air. Opening windows does little, so contractors dry with the house closed and dehumidifiers running. See structural drying.

In crawlspace homes, drying runs above and below the floor. Wet insulation comes out, a dehumidifier runs under the house and readings are taken on the subfloor from both sides. Cold crawlspaces often call for desiccant dehumidifiers.

Expect winter jobs to take somewhat longer than summer ones, and expect the contractor to rely on readings rather than a fixed number of days.

Lane County homeowners can confirm a contractor's Oregon license, and see any complaints, through the Construction Contractors Board's online search.

For insurance questions, the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation takes consumer questions and complaints. ^[7] Standard homeowners policies commonly cover sudden plumbing failures and commonly exclude groundwater, surface water and flooding. Sewer backup is often an add-on, and flood insurance is usually separate. See working with your insurance adjuster.

Nobody from this site comes to your Eugene or Springfield home; your call reaches an independent Lane County contractor, and the two of you settle any next steps.

Eugene is known for its trees, and many neighbourhoods have large firs, maples and oaks over the houses. They are a big part of what makes the city pleasant, and they are also behind a fair amount of water damage. Leaves and needles fill gutters in fall just as the heavy rain starts, and overflowing gutters send roof water down walls, into window frames and against foundations.

Fir needles in particular are small and pack tightly in gutters and downspouts. Homes under big conifers often need gutters cleaned more than once a season, and gutter guards help on some houses.

In ice storms, heavy limbs break and fall onto roofs, sometimes puncturing them and letting rain straight into attics. After any storm that brings down branches, it is worth checking the roof and the ceilings below for new stains.

In October, before the heaviest rain, clean gutters after the first leaf drop, check that downspouts discharge well away from the house and look under the house for anything that needs fixing. Insulate exposed pipes before the first cold snap.

From November through January, Eugene's wettest months, clean gutters again after big storms, check the crawlspace after long rainy spells and keep indoor humidity in check with exhaust fans and, where needed, a dehumidifier. If you leave for the holidays, keep the heat on.

In February and March, when the ground is at its wettest, check the crawlspace once more for standing water or sagging insulation. In spring, schedule any drainage, grading or crawlspace work before next fall.

South Eugene rises into hills toward Spencer Butte, and homes there deal with water flowing downhill. Rain that falls on the slope above a house runs toward its uphill wall, and if drainage is poor it can soak foundations, push water into crawlspaces or daylight basements and stress retaining walls.

Good drainage on the uphill side, clear gutters with downspouts piped well away from slopes and regular checks of retaining walls and drains help. When water does get inside a hillside house, a restoration contractor deals with the water damage, and a drainage or geotechnical specialist may be needed to fix the cause.

Eugene and Springfield have separate sanitary and storm sewer systems, but stormwater still finds its way into sanitary lines during long wet spells, through cracked pipes, loose joints and improper connections. Older private sewer laterals, especially under big trees, are prone to roots, sags and breaks.

When a line blocks or is overwhelmed, water comes up at the lowest drain in the house: a basement floor drain in older homes, or a ground-floor shower or toilet in crawlspace homes. That water is treated as contaminated. Stop using water, keep people and pets away and see sewage backup cleanup.

If backups repeat, a sewer camera inspection shows what is happening in the line and is the basis for any repair decision.

Neighbourhoods close to downtown and the university include houses built in the early twentieth century, with plaster walls, old-growth fir floors and original trim. Plaster holds water longer than drywall and needs patient drying. Fir floors are often worth drying in place. Original trim can be removed carefully and reinstalled.

Age brings hazards too. Houses built before 1978 may have lead paint, and federal rules require lead-safe practices for many renovation jobs that disturb painted surfaces. ^[8] Some older flooring, adhesives, pipe insulation and textured ceilings may contain asbestos. A contractor working on an older Eugene house should ask about these before cutting or sanding.

How a contractor approaches a job depends on what kind of water it is. Water from a burst supply line starts clean and, if dealt with quickly, many materials can be dried and kept. Water from a washing machine or dishwasher carries some contamination. Water from a sewer backup, or floodwater that has run across the ground from Amazon Creek or a flooded street, is treated as heavily contaminated, and porous materials it soaked are usually removed.

Clean water also degrades as it sits. A clean leak left for several days in a warm house can end up handled more like grey water. That is one more reason to call promptly. Our guide to water damage categories explained covers this in detail.

Water heaters in Eugene homes sit in garages, utility closets and sometimes crawlspaces. As tanks age, they can leak slowly from the bottom or fail suddenly, and a failed relief valve can discharge water onto the floor. In a garage, the water usually runs out under the door. In a closet, it soaks the surrounding floor, walls and the subfloor beneath.

If you find water around the heater, close the cold water supply valve at the top of the tank and turn off the power or set a gas heater to its off or pilot position. Then get the water up and the area checked for moisture in walls and flooring. A drain pan under the heater, piped to a drain, limits damage from future leaks.