What's different about these blocks
Long before Lakewood incorporated as a city in 1969, West Colfax was a busy corridor with small houses on the streets behind it. Two Creeks, Eiber and Morse Park mix compact houses from the 1940s and 1950s, some on crawlspaces or partial basements, with duplexes, small apartment buildings and newer infill homes on scraped lots.
Many of the older houses picked up additions over the years: a family room on a slab, a bedroom over a crawlspace, a bathroom carved out of a porch. Each addition joined new construction to old, and those joints are where leaks and drainage problems tend to start. Galvanized supply lines, clay sewer laterals and older water heaters squeezed into closets are all common.
Small creek drainages called gulches cross this part of Lakewood. Properties near them may face different drainage and flood questions than the blocks around them.
Typical trouble spots in older east Lakewood houses
| Location | Why it's vulnerable | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Joint between the original house and an addition | Roof flashing and foundations meet at different heights | Inspect the flashing; look for stains at the joint inside |
| Crawlspace under an addition | Little ventilation and often no ground cover | Ground cover, pipe insulation, regular checks |
| Water heater in a hallway closet | No floor drain, carpet right beside it | A drain pan with a line to the outside, plus a leak sensor |
| Clay sewer lateral | Roots work into the joints over decades | A camera inspection, especially before buying |
| Galvanized supply lines | Corrosion and narrowing inside | A plumber's review and phased replacement |
For landlords with older rentals here
Inventory each unit
Record the water heater's age, the supply line types and the location of every shutoff.
Brief your tenants
Show tenants the shutoffs at move-in and explain how to report a leak.
Inspect between tenants
Check under sinks, around toilets and tubs, and in the crawlspace every time a unit turns over.
Plan replacements
Budget for the oldest water heaters and galvanized runs before they fail.
If you live near a gulch
- Is my property in a mapped floodplain? Check the FEMA flood maps and ask the City of Lakewood.
- Does my homeowners or renter's policy exclude flood, and should I consider a separate flood policy?
- Which way does surface water cross my lot in a heavy storm?
- Who maintains the drainage channel near my property?
General information for Lakewood, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.