Crawl Space Mold Removal in Port Ludlow, WA

We only use the house part of the year. Does that matter?

It can make a real difference. Port Ludlow grew as a resort and master-planned community on Port Ludlow Bay after the Hood Canal Bridge opened in 1960, and its marina still draws boaters. Second homes and houses left empty during trips tend to sit cool and still through the wet months, so damp air from the crawl space drifts up, settles on cold framing and in closets, and nobody notices until the next visit. Keeping some heat on, running bath fans when the house is in use, and having someone check the crawl space after big storms all help.

Where is the moisture coming from?

Usually the ground. Water covers about 18 percent of the Port Ludlow census-designated area, and the bay connects to Admiralty Inlet and Puget Sound, so the air is humid and the soil under many homes stays wet from October to April. Thin or torn ground covers let that moisture rise into the crawl space. On sloped lots, rain soaking into the uphill side can seep against the foundation. Jefferson County says many of its waterbodies are mapped as floodplain by FEMA and that standard homeowners policies don't cover flood damage; because the county participates in the National Flood Insurance Program, separate flood insurance is available.

What should the work include?

• A full crawl of the space with moisture readings and photos.
• Wet insulation removed, framing cleaned and allowed to dry.
• A new ground cover with taped seams.
• Gutter, downspout or grading fixes where water reaches the foundation.
• Duct inspection if heating runs pass under the floor.

Washington has no state mold license or certification, so confirm the company's Washington L&I contractor registration on the Verify a Contractor tool.

Local note

Port Ludlow is unincorporated, so building permits for replacing rotted framing come from the Jefferson County Department of Community Development's Building Division, and work in mapped floodplains must meet the county's flood damage prevention ordinance. Jefferson County Public Health publishes a mold page and lists Environmental Public Health in Port Townsend as its contact.