Mold Removal & Remediation in Port Orchard, WA

Local conditions in Port Orchard

The Kitsap County seat sits on the south shore of Sinclair Inlet, across from Bremerton, with its downtown stretched along Bay Street. The city warns that king tides combined with winter weather can raise water enough to threaten shoreline areas and downtown businesses, and it has made sandbags available downtown. In one well-reported event, heavy rain running off the hill could not drain into the bay because the tide was too high; the city closed part of Bay Street and the roundabout at Bethel Avenue and Mile Hill Drive until the water receded. Much of the city is newer, with a median build year of 2004, but newer homes still get mold from roof leaks, crawl space moisture and winter condensation.

Clean in place or replace?

Signs to look for

• Musty odor in a ground-floor room after a high-tide storm.
• Peeling paint or swollen baseboards along a lower wall.
• Dark spots on bathroom or bedroom ceilings.
• Growth on window frames that keeps coming back.
• Water stains on drywall below a deck, skylight or roof valley.

Timing

King tide season and winter storms usually overlap from late fall into winter, so check low-lying spaces after the highest tides. Dry anything that gets wet within 24 to 48 hours, and if a space flooded and stayed wet longer, EPA says to assume mold is growing. Slow problems in newer homes, such as an attic that frosts over or a bathroom that never dries, are easiest to fix in late summer, when framing dries quickly once walls are opened. Before work begins, check the company's registration with Washington L&I as a construction contractor; the state has no separate mold license. Within city limits, building and repair permits come from the City of Port Orchard Department of Community Development, Building and Fire.