Mold Removal in Edmonds, WA

The December 2022 king tide

On December 27, 2022, waves broke over the Edmonds seawall and about a foot and a half of water covered the marina area. Dayton Street between SR 104 and Railroad Avenue closed with water one to two feet deep in places. Saltwater that gets into a building does the same thing freshwater does to drywall, insulation and carpet: if it is not dried within 24 to 48 hours, EPA says to assume mold is growing.

If your property took on water in a coastal event, the checklist is short:

1. Pull out soaked carpet, pad and insulation; they rarely dry in time.
2. Cut wet drywall well above the water line so the cavity can dry.
3. Run fans and dehumidifiers, and don't run a central air system you suspect is contaminated, per EPA.
4. Check for hidden moisture behind cabinets and under flooring a week later.

The bowl and the bluffs

Edmonds is a Snohomish County city on Puget Sound about 14 miles north of Seattle. The ferry terminal sits at the west end of Main Street, and downtown lies in a valley locals call the bowl. Rain falling on the slopes above drains toward the bowl, so basements and lower floors there can pick up seepage through foundation walls, while homes higher up deal more with wind-driven rain against siding and windows facing the Sound. Through the long wet season, closed-up rooms and cold exterior walls grow mildew in homes all over town. Older houses with original single-pane windows and bathrooms without exhaust fans tend to show it first, usually as black spotting on sills and ceiling corners.

City and county offices

The City of Edmonds Building Division, part of Planning and Development, reviews plans, issues permits and inspects residential projects. Rebuilding after flood or mold damage may need a permit even though the mold cleanup itself does not. Edmonds Code Enforcement works on complaints but says it does not get involved in tenant and landlord disputes. Renters should put leak and moisture problems in writing to the landlord; Washington law requires landlords to keep units weathertight and give tenants mold information. The Snohomish County Health Department does not investigate mold complaints in private homes or test for mold, and it refers landlord disputes to the Volunteers of America Dispute Resolution Center of Snohomish and Island Counties. Snohomish County's Flood Information Center has flood maps and a Flood Recovery Guide.

Calling for help

A call connects you with an independent local company. Washington has no state mold license or certification, so confirm the company is registered with Washington L&I as a construction contractor before it starts.