Mold Removal in Maple Valley, WA

Southeast King County's newer suburb

Maple Valley incorporated in 1997 and sits about 22 miles southeast of Seattle, centered on SR 169 and the Four Corners commercial district. SR 18, Kent Kangley Road (SR 516) and Witte Road carry most traffic, and Lake Wilderness City Park, the Lake Wilderness Arboretum and the Green to Cedar River Trail anchor the city's outdoor life. The median house was built in 2002.

Water inside city limits

Lake Wilderness, Lake Lucerne, Rock Creek and part of Pipe Lake are within the city, and the Cedar River passes through unincorporated King County near the northeast edge. The city's most specific water problem is drainage, not a river. Maple Valley says the Cedar Downs and Cedar Downs Village neighborhoods in the northwest part of town have had long-standing localized flooding from drainage problems, including filled or modified ditches and stormwater facilities that weren't kept up; the northern part of that area drains to Jenkins Creek.

Poor drainage near a house tends to show up below the floor first. Water that pools along the foundation ends up in the crawl space, where it raises humidity under the whole home. Watch for:

• Standing water or wet soil on top of the crawl space vapor barrier
• Insulation sagging or dropping from between floor joists
• Cupping hardwood or a musty smell in rooms over the crawl space
• Downspouts dumping right beside the foundation

A house built around 2002 is also at the age when original roof underlayment, water heater connections and dishwasher lines begin to fail. Catching a leak early keeps the job small; EPA puts the do-it-yourself limit at about 10 square feet.

City contacts

Permit questions go to the City of Maple Valley Economic and Community Development Department. Ask before rebuilding subfloor, framing or walls once moldy materials are out.

Maple Valley Code Enforcement, part of Community Development, enforces housing codes and investigates substandard or dangerous buildings, with complaints taken through SeeClickFix or City Hall. Renters should give their landlord written notice of the leak or moisture problem first, which starts the repair clock in Washington's landlord-tenant law, then contact Code Enforcement if repairs don't happen.

Public Health - Seattle & King County offers indoor air quality and mold consultations.

When you call

The number on this page connects you with an independent local mold remediation company. Washington has no mold license or certification; check that the business is registered with L&I as a construction contractor using the Verify a Contractor tool, and ask whether drainage or grading work is part of their recommendation or needs another contractor.