Manitou Springs, CO
Basement and Cellar Flooding in Manitou Springs, CO
Manitou's older homes often have stone cellars dug into a hillside, and water finds them from above, from the side and from the sewer line. Here is how to tell which, and what to do.
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Updated November 12, 2026
Down a set of narrow stairs in many Manitou Springs homes is a cellar: stone walls, low ceilings, a dirt or old concrete floor, and the house's water heater and main shutoff tucked in a corner. Other houses have finished lower levels added decades later. Both kinds take on water for the same reasons, and both need a different approach from the poured-concrete basements in newer parts of the county.
Where the water is coming from
Start by checking where it entered. The table covers the patterns we see most often in Manitou.
| What you see | Likely source |
|---|---|
| Water along the uphill wall after rain or snowmelt | Hillside seepage through stone and mortar |
| Water rising from a floor drain | Blocked or broken sewer lateral |
| Water near the water heater or laundry | Plumbing leak |
| Muddy water at a door or low window | Surface runoff from the street or slope |
| Water rising across the floor near a creek | High water in Fountain Creek or a tributary |
Homes built on slopes have the uphill wall buried, and water moving down the hill after storms and snowmelt presses against it. Stone and rubble foundations of that era were usually laid with lime mortar that weathers over time, and once it erodes, water comes through the joints.
Old sewer laterals
Many older homes still have their original sewer lateral, the pipe that carries waste from the house to the main in the street. Clay pipe cracks and lets roots in. Orangeburg pipe, a tar paper pipe used in some homes in the mid-1900s, can deform and collapse. When the lateral blocks, the lowest drain in the house, often in the cellar, is where wastewater comes up.
If that happens, stop using water upstairs, keep children and pets away, and call a plumber along with a restoration crew. Sewage is treated as contaminated water and porous items it touched usually cannot be saved. Our post on sewage backups covers what to expect.
Water still spreading? Talk to a local restoration pro now.Have your ZIP code ready. A local restoration pro answers.
Call (719) 555-0142Creek water and runoff
Fountain Creek runs through the center of Manitou, close to homes and businesses along Manitou Avenue, and in August 2013 it flooded after a storm over the Waldo Canyon burn scar. High water and runoff from the slopes can reach lower levels quickly during summer storms. The full story is on our Manitou Springs storm and flood damage page.
Drying a stone cellar
Stone foundations behave differently from concrete. They hold moisture, release it slowly and may never be fully dry, so the goal is to dry the house structure while managing the walls.
- Standing water is pumped or extracted first.
- Stored items, wood shelving and anything porous that soaked through are removed or set aside to dry.
- Wood framing, stair stringers and floor joists over the cellar get the most attention, since that is where rot starts.
- Dehumidifiers run with the cellar closed off, often for longer than the 3 to 5 days a newer basement might take.
- For finished lower levels, the bottom of drywall or paneling is opened so the cavity and stone behind it can dry.
Sealing the walls with paint or a coating can trap water in the stone and push it elsewhere. Talk to a mason who knows old stone foundations before you seal anything, and ask about repointing failed mortar joints.
Damp cellars can grow mold on wood and stored items, even in a dry climate. Our post on mold after water damage explains what to watch for.
What affects the cost
The water source and category, how much of the space is finished, how long water sat, removal of stored items and framing, access down narrow cellar stairs, after-hours response, and whether rebuild is included. The company that inspects gives the real figure in writing before work begins.
Need someone to look at it today?Tell them your ZIP and what happened. A local pro picks up.
Call (719) 555-0142Manitou Springs pages
For a frozen or broken line in the cellar, see Manitou Springs burst pipe cleanup. Drying in older homes is covered on Manitou Springs water damage restoration. The main basement flooding page has more about the service, and the Manitou Springs area page covers the town.
Sources and official resources
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Basement Flooding near Manitou Springs
Service area
Manitou Springs on the service map
Manitou Springs is about 5 miles from downtown Colorado Springs. Crews reach it from the Colorado Springs side, usually by I-25, Powers Boulevard or US-24.
Colorado Springs neighborhoods
FAQ
Common questions
Straight answers to what Colorado Springs homeowners ask most. Still unsure? Call and ask a local pro.
Call (719) 555-0142My stone cellar is always a little damp. When is it a problem?
Some dampness in an old stone cellar is normal. Standing water, a musty smell that keeps getting stronger, white crusting that spreads quickly on the walls or wet wood framing are signs that something has changed and should be checked.
Water came up through the floor drain. What caused it?
In older homes this is often a blocked or broken sewer lateral, which is the pipe from your house to the main. Older laterals made of clay or tar paper pipe can crack or fill with roots. A plumber can run a camera to find the problem.
Can a finished basement in an old house be dried?
Yes, though it takes care. Finished walls built against stone often have little or no moisture barrier, so the crew may open the bottom of the wall to dry the cavity and check the stone behind it.
Is cellar flooding covered by homeowners insurance?
A pipe that bursts in the cellar is often covered under many policies. Groundwater seepage usually is not, sewer backup typically needs an endorsement, and creek or surface water coming in needs separate flood insurance.
Basement Flooding in Manitou Springs? Call a local pro.
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