A century of settling.
The Lettered Streets, where the avenues run A, B, C up from the water near downtown, is one of the oldest parts of Bellingham, with homes that date back to the 1890s through the 1920s. Close to the bay, the ground here is softer river-valley soil, and a hundred-plus years on soft ground means a lot of these homes have settled, their foundations have shifted, and the old sidewalks and driveways have cracked and heaved.
Our work in the Lettered Streets is the careful repair these century-old homes need: reinforcing and stabilizing old foundations that have moved, replacing cracked and lifted sidewalks and driveway aprons over a proper subbase, and fixing the crawlspaces, often original post-and-pier, that have rotted or sunk in the damp soil. These are old houses worth keeping, and the concrete underneath them is usually what needs the attention.
Common home styles
1890s to 1920s homes, including older Victorians and early Craftsman houses, on small close-set lots near downtown and the bay.
Soil and water
Softer river-valley soils near the bay with a high seasonal water table. The soft ground and the moisture are why settling foundations, heaved flatwork, and damp crawlspaces are the bread and butter here.