Mold Inspection in Lakewood, WA

Why moisture finds Lakewood homes

Lakewood is a city of lakes: American Lake, Lake Steilacoom, Gravelly Lake, Lake Louise and Waughop Lake all sit inside its limits, and Chambers Creek runs from Lake Steilacoom out to Chambers Bay. Clover Creek is the one that gets the most attention. The city says newer flood maps show a 1 percent annual-chance flood risk along Clover Creek in the Springbrook and Hillside neighborhoods, and some areas once shown in the 500-year floodplain now fall in the 100-year floodplain. Homes in those areas can see high groundwater and wet crawl spaces in a soggy winter even without a flood. Add the region's long rainy season and the winter condensation that collects on cold exterior walls, and you get growth that often starts where no one looks.

Inspection or testing: which one do you need?

EPA says sampling is usually unnecessary when mold is visible and there are no federal limits for spore levels.

Signs worth an inspection

• A musty odor that lingers after you air the room out.
• Stained or bubbling paint on lower walls, especially facing a slope or the creek side of the lot.
• Water standing on the crawl space vapor barrier after heavy rain.
• Black spotting along window frames and in closets on outside walls.

Timing it around the seasons

Late fall through early spring is when leaks show themselves, so it's a good window to book if something seems off. Summer is the easier time to make repairs and let framing dry. Renters can contact the city's Rental Housing Safety Program, run by Planning and Public Works, about rental unit safety problems a landlord hasn't fixed after written notice. The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department has said it has seen more rental complaints about issues such as mold, but it has no regulatory power over rental housing.