Crawl Space Mold Removal in Port Orchard, WA

Port Orchard conditions

Port Orchard, the Kitsap County seat, sits on the south shore of Sinclair Inlet across from Bremerton. Census-derived figures put the median home at 2004, so much of the city's housing is fairly new. Newer does not mean dry, though. The city warns that king tides combined with winter weather can raise water levels enough to threaten shoreline areas and downtown, and asks residents to keep catch-basin drains clear. During one heavy rain at high tide, water running off the hill downtown couldn't drain to the bay; the city closed part of Bay Street and the roundabout at Bethel Avenue and Mile Hill Drive until the tide went out. Houses on the slopes above town deal with the same runoff moving through soil toward their foundations.

Quick fix or lasting fix?

Signs to look for

• A stale smell that lingers in ground-floor rooms during winter.
• Condensation on ducts or pipes under the floor.
• Growth along joists near the outer foundation wall.
• Standing water after a big rain or high-tide storm.

Timing

King tide season and winter storms are when water reaches foundations, so check the crawl space after those events and dry anything wet within 24 to 48 hours. Planned work such as framing cleanup and a new ground cover is easiest in late summer, when the soil is at its driest and wood dries faster after cleaning. Ask the company to confirm with moisture readings that the framing is dry before new insulation goes back up, and to photograph the space before and after so you have a record. Inside city limits, repair permits come from the City of Port Orchard Department of Community Development's Permit Center.