Mold in Walls & Drywall in Lake Stevens, WA

Does living near the lake make wall mold more likely?

It can add moisture, but it is rarely the main cause. Lake Stevens is the largest and deepest lake in Snohomish County and drains through Catherine Creek to the Pilchuck River. The city's environment plan says areas prone to 100-year floods are limited mostly to properties fronting Catherine Creek and the lake, mapped as Zone A on FEMA flood maps, and that flooding has also come from wetlands, streams and ditches overflowing. If your home is on one of those lots, lower walls and crawl spaces may stay damper through winter. Elsewhere in town, from Frontier Village to Cavalero Hill, wall mold is far more likely to start with a plumbing leak or a window than with the lake.

How do I know it is inside the wall and not just on the surface?

Surface mildew wipes off and tends to show up in steamy rooms. Growth inside the wall gives itself away differently: a musty smell without visible spots, paint that bubbles, drywall that feels soft, or a stain that grows after rain or after the dishwasher runs. A moisture meter reading taken through the face of the drywall, and sometimes a thermal camera, tells a company where the wet area starts and stops. EPA says sampling is usually unnecessary when mold is visible, so readings and a look behind the surface matter more than lab tests for most walls.

Will I need a permit to put the wall back?

Mold removal alone is generally not described as permitted work. Replacing structural framing, moving plumbing or rewiring can be. The City of Lake Stevens Building Division, part of Planning & Community Development at 1812 Main Street (425-622-9400), provides plan review and inspections, with permits through its Online Permit Center. Work in a mapped flood hazard area also falls under the city's flood and critical areas rules, so ask before major rebuilding on lakefront or creekside lots.

Local note

Lake Stevens Code Enforcement handles nuisance, land use and stormwater issues; housing conditions are not listed among its topics. Renters should give the landlord written notice of a leak under Washington law. The Snohomish County Health Department does not investigate mold in private homes but points tenants with landlord disputes to the Dispute Resolution Center of Snohomish and Island Counties.