Mold in Walls & Drywall in Redmond, WA

Does the Sammamish River put Redmond walls at risk?

For a small number of low-lying properties, it can. The river leaves Lake Sammamish at Marymoor Park and runs north along the west edge of downtown. King County notes that high water can limit access to NE 95th Street and low sections of the Sammamish River Trail and can back water up into stormwater facilities, and farmland between Redmond and Woodinville floods when the river is high and upland stormwater can't drain. For most homes on Education Hill, in Overlake and in the neighborhoods around downtown, though, wall mold has nothing to do with the river. It starts with a leak or with condensation.

My Redmond house is from the 1980s. What should I check?

Redmond's median house was built around 1984, so many homes still have original plumbing, windows and bath fans that are around four decades old. The most common hidden-wall problems in houses that age are pinhole leaks or loose fittings on supply lines, worn shower valves and tub seals, and window flashing that has started letting rain into the wall. Rooms over a garage or along a north-facing exterior wall can also collect condensation through the winter. Look for swollen baseboards, staining under windows, paint bubbles and a smell that's strongest near one wall. A remediation company should map moisture before cutting so the opening stays as small as possible.

I rent in Redmond. Will the city deal with mold?

Not directly. Redmond Code Enforcement says it does not oversee general property maintenance issues such as mold; it acts only when conditions meet the state definition of substandard or dangerous housing, and only after the tenant has notified the landlord in writing. Landlord-tenant disputes are civil matters. Under Washington's landlord-tenant law, landlords must keep units reasonably weathertight and give tenants Department of Health-approved mold information, and written notice starts the repair clock. This is general information, not legal advice.

Local note

Redmond is about 10 miles east of Seattle. Rebuilding drywall, insulation or framing can need a permit from the Development Services Center, which reviews and issues construction permits. Angi's Seattle cost guide reports wall mold jobs between about $825 and $16,550; how much wall gets opened is the biggest variable.