Mold Removal in Kenmore, WA

Kenmore on the north shore

Kenmore is a Northshore suburb at the north tip of Lake Washington, about 10 miles from downtown Seattle. It's home to Kenmore Air Harbor, the seaplane base, and to Log Boom Park and Saint Edward State Park on the lake. Neighborhoods such as Arrowhead, Inglewood, Linwood Heights and Kenlake Vista climb the hills on either side of Bothell Way (SR 522).

Calm river, damp houses

The Sammamish River flows into Lake Washington right here. King County says that from Woodinville downstream to the lake, including Kenmore, the river generally stays within its banks. So when a Kenmore homeowner finds mold, the cause is almost always closer to home.

If your house has a lower floor cut into a slope, as hillside and lake-view homes around the region often do, that daylight basement can pick up groundwater seepage through the back wall in a wet winter, and finished lower floors hide it behind drywall and carpet until a smell gives it away. Elsewhere, the usual suspects apply:

• Bath fans that are too weak, never run, or vent into the attic
• Window condensation in bedrooms kept cool and closed overnight
• Leaks under kitchen and bathroom sinks that drip for months
• Gutters that overflow next to the foundation

EPA's advice is to keep indoor humidity under 60 percent and fix leaks promptly. Mold on hard surfaces can often be scrubbed off; porous materials such as carpet and drywall usually need replacing.

City contacts

Kenmore's Development Services team includes permit coordinators, a building plans examiner and inspector, and a construction and building inspector. Ask Development Services whether rebuilding walls, framing or a finished basement after mold removal needs a permit.

The same department has a Code Compliance Officer who takes non-emergency concerns through the city's Report a Concern portal. Its page doesn't mention rentals or mold, so a renter's first step is written notice to the landlord under Washington's landlord-tenant law. Landlords must keep units reasonably weathertight and give tenants Department of Health information about mold.

Public Health - Seattle & King County's environmental health specialists consult on indoor air quality and mold concerns.

Calling and hiring

Your call connects you with an independent local mold remediation company. Washington has no mold license or certification; confirm L&I contractor registration on the Verify a Contractor tool. A good company will start by finding the water, not by selling you a test. The Washington Department of Health notes that sampling is usually unnecessary when you can see or smell mold, so spend first on locating and fixing the source.