Technician in protective gear HEPA-vacuuming mold from stripped wall framing. A general example of this kind of work, not a photo of a particular home, business or job.
Cherry Creek at a glance
- Government
- City and County of Denver
- Housing
- Attached rowhomes and townhomes, condo buildings, and a shrinking number of older detached houses
- Lower levels
- Many rowhomes have a garden-level or basement room below a tuck-under garage
- Roofs
- Flat or low-slope roofs with rooftop decks are common on newer attached homes
- ZIPs commonly used
- 80206 and 80209; confirm for your address
Where moisture goes in attached and stacked homes
Rowhomes and townhomes in Cherry Creek are often three or four stories tall on narrow lots, with a garage at grade, living space above and a roof deck on top. Water problems tend to come from the top and the bottom. Rooftop decks and low-slope roofs depend on membranes, drains and flashing at every railing post and door threshold; a small failure there can run down inside a wall for several floors. At the bottom, lower-level rooms beside the garage or below grade can collect water from driveway drains, window wells and wet garage floors in winter.
Shared walls change the response. Containment has to protect not only the rest of your home but also the neighbor's unit, and the leak may originate on their side. In condominium buildings, plumbing stacks, mechanical rooms and parking garages are typically common elements under the association's control.
Sorting out a Cherry Creek mold problem
- IfStaining appears high on a wall below a roof deckHave the deck membrane, drains and door threshold inspected before opening the wall.
- IfA lower-level room beside the garage smells mustyCheck where garage and driveway water drains and whether snowmelt from parked cars reaches the shared wall.
- IfGrowth is on a wall shared with a neighborTalk to the neighbor and, if there is one, the HOA before demolition; the source may be on their side.
- IfYou live in a condo tower and see ceiling stainsNotify the association in writing immediately; the source is likely in a unit or system you cannot access.
- IfBathroom and closet spotting appears without leaksCheck ventilation and indoor humidity; tight new buildings rely on fans running as designed.
Common questions
Who pays when a rooftop deck leak damages several floors of a rowhome?
That depends on the HOA documents, whether the deck is a common element, and both parties' insurance. Read the declarations and notify your insurer early.
General information for Hilltop, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.