Mold Removal in Vaughn, WA

Vaughn is a small rural community on Vaughn Bay in the northwestern Key Peninsula, about 29 miles from Seattle in a straight line. It was once a port served by steamboats on Case Inlet. Water covers roughly 38 percent of the census area, so a lot of homes here have a view of the bay, and a lot of moist air to go with it.

Moisture on the Key Peninsula

Rural bayfront homes tend to have their own set of mold problems:

• Vacation or part-time houses closed up through the winter, where humidity builds with no heat or airflow.
• Crawl spaces close to the water table, with damp soil under the house.
• Wood-framed decks, stairs and siding that stay wet from fall to spring.
• Roof leaks that go unnoticed under heavy tree cover.

Heat and ventilate a closed house through the winter if you can, and check the crawl space after long rainy stretches.

Repairs after flood damage

Pierce County publishes floodway and floodplain maps through Surface Water Management and its public GIS. The county says repairs after flood damage require permits, and work adding up to more than 50 percent of a structure's value over five years must bring the building up to current code. Federal flood insurance is required for federally backed loans on structures in mapped Special Flood Hazard Areas, and the county recommends flood insurance in any flood hazard area.

Permits and complaints are county business

Vaughn is unincorporated, so the Pierce County Planning & Public Works Development Center in Tacoma issues building, plumbing and mechanical permits, including repair permits after storms or floods. Mold cleanup alone isn't permitted work.

Pierce County Code Enforcement serves unincorporated areas, but it says it doesn't handle public health concerns such as mold. Renters should give the landlord written notice of leaks. Washington law requires landlords to keep a unit weathertight and in good repair, and written notice starts repair timelines. This is general information, not legal advice.

Health questions

Mold questions go to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, whose Healthy Homes program has mold resources for tenants. EPA says people with asthma or weakened immune systems should stay away from moldy areas.

Calling from Vaughn

You'll be connected with an independent local company. Tell them whether the house is lived in year-round and how long it was closed. Washington has no state mold license; check L&I registration on the Verify a Contractor tool before anyone starts.