Mold in Walls & Drywall in Belfair, WA

Signs of mold inside your walls

• A heavy, musty smell in one room, often worse after several days of rain.
• Paint that bubbles, flakes or shows brown streaks below windows.
• Baseboards that swell, darken or separate from the wall.
• Drywall that feels soft or cold and damp to the touch.
• Gray or black spotting behind headboards, dressers or in closets.

Local conditions in Belfair

Belfair is the commercial center of northern Mason County, on the isthmus between the Kitsap and Olympic peninsulas at the mouth of the Union River on Hood Canal, next to the tidal Theler Wetlands. It averages about 60 inches of rain a year, well above what Seattle sees. That much rain tests every flashing detail, gutter and siding joint, and it keeps the ground around houses wet for months at a time. Walls on the weather side of a home and any wall below a roof valley or deck deserve a careful look each spring, as do rooms near the Union River or the wetlands where the air stays damp.

Belfair is unincorporated, so building permits for structural or plumbing repairs come from Mason County Community Development. The county's code compliance process takes written complaints about dangerous or substandard buildings; it doesn't name rental mold, so renters should start by giving the landlord written notice of the leak.

What affects the cost

• How many feet of drywall and insulation have to be removed.
• Whether rain has reached sheathing and framing behind the insulation.
• Siding, window or roof repairs needed before the wall is closed.
• Containment, disposal and rebuilding.

Angi's Seattle cost guide lists wall mold at about $825 to $16,550, and most pros in that guide charge about $10 to $25 per square foot.

What happens when you call

The call connects you with an independent local mold remediation company that works in North Mason. Have a rough idea of where the problem is and whether it changes with the weather. Ask about moisture readings before cutting, whether the price includes rebuilding, and how they will confirm the wall is dry before it is closed. Confirm the company is registered with Washington L&I as a construction contractor on L&I's Verify a Contractor tool.