University Place mixes neighborhoods with offices, shops, schools and apartments, and mold in any shared building needs a written plan instead of a quick wipe. Start by stopping the moisture and keeping people away from the affected area. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local mold remediation company in University Place.
About University Place
University Place is a largely suburban city of about 35,000 people just west of Tacoma, with business and residential areas side by side and a Puget Sound shoreline that runs to Chambers Bay. Chambers Creek reaches the Sound here, and Grandview Drive follows the bluff above the water. Exposure to wind-driven rain off the Sound, plus the region's long wet season, keeps roofs, siding and window openings under steady pressure from fall to spring. Schools such as Curtis Senior High and Charles Wright Academy, offices and apartment complexes all share the same concern when mold appears: keeping occupants out of the work area and out of shared air while cleanup happens. EPA's guide for schools and commercial buildings was written for exactly these settings.
What to do now
- Find the water: a roof leak, a failed supply line, a clogged condensate drain or condensation on cold surfaces.
- Stop it, or at least contain it with tarps, buckets or a valve shutoff.
- Close the room and post a notice so staff, tenants or visitors stay out.
- Turn off air handling that serves the area if the system may be affected.
- Photograph everything and write down dates.
- Ask for written bids based on a site visit, and check each bidder on L&I's Verify a Contractor tool.
Reading the signs
| What you see | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Mold on the ceiling of an upper-floor unit or office | Roof or flashing leak, or poor attic ventilation |
| Black spots on window frames facing the water | Condensation, sometimes with rain getting past the frame |
| Growth on a wall shared with a restroom | Plumbing leak inside the wall |
| Musty odor near an air handler | Wet insulation or a dirty drain pan |
Cost factors
Angi's Seattle cost guide lists $10 to $25 per square foot for remediation and $825 to $2,400 for drywall replacement, based on residential jobs, so treat them as a floor. A commercial bid adds containment for each work zone, air filtration, after-hours labor and any HVAC cleaning. Rebuild permits go through the city's Planning and Development Services, and the city's Code Enforcement office takes complaints through its online form, though it does not say whether that covers interior rental conditions.
Commercial Mold Remediation questions in University Place
How large a mold problem calls for professionals?
What indoor humidity helps a building limit mold?
Should the same company test and remove the mold?
How is a commercial mold job priced?
More mold services in University Place
Commercial Mold Remediation nearby
Sources
- Wikipedia: University Place, Washington
- City of University Place: Shoreline Inventory and Characterization
- City of University Place: Applications and Forms
- Angi: How Much Does Mold Remediation Cost in Seattle, WA?
- EPA: Mold Cleanup in Your Home
- EPA: Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings (pdf)
- L&I: Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business
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