Mold & Mildew Cleanup in Lakewood, WA

What keeps Lakewood homes damp

Lakewood holds an unusual amount of water inside its limits: American Lake, Lake Steilacoom, Gravelly Lake, Lake Louise and Waughop Lake, plus Chambers Creek running out of Lake Steilacoom and Clover Creek with its mapped floodplain. The city says newer flood maps show a 100-year flood risk along Clover Creek in the Springbrook and Hillside neighborhoods. Most mildew has nothing to do with floods, though. It grows because the air indoors carries more moisture than the coldest surfaces can handle from fall through spring. A shower without a fan, wet coats in the entry, a dresser pressed against an exterior wall: each creates a spot that stays damp long enough for gray or black speckling to take hold. The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department's guidance says the same thing in short form: molds grow where there is too much water, so stop leaks and keep water away from walls and slabs.

Clean it yourself or call someone?

Signs it has gone past the surface

• Speckling on painted walls that comes back in the same outline after each cleaning.
• A sour or earthy smell in a closet even with the door left open.
• Paint bubbling or drywall that dents under a thumb near a window or tub.
• Dark lines along the carpet edge at an outside wall.

Timing

Mildew builds from October through April and fades in the dry summer, which tempts people to forget about it until it returns. Late summer, when walls and frames are driest, is a good time to replace stained caulk, fix a bath fan and get any drywall work done. Repairs that need a permit go through the Permit Center in Planning and Public Works. Renters can contact the city's Rental Housing Safety Program, which works on rental unit safety, after giving the landlord written notice of a leak.