Kingwood is part of the City of Houston, and many of its neighborhoods took heavy water during Harvey, so mold remediation here frequently involves flood-damaged drywall, cabinets and flooring as well as AC leaks. Texas requires separate companies for the assessment and the removal. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local mold remediation company in Kingwood.
Kingwood and its water
Kingwood is a master-planned area in northeast Houston, about 24 miles from downtown, flanked by Lake Houston, the West Fork of the San Jacinto River, Spring Creek and several bayous. Releases from Lake Conroe flow down the San Jacinto into Lake Houston. During Harvey, more than 80 percent of homes in Kingwood Greens Village, Barrington and Fosters Mill had water damage, according to the district council member, and the first floor of Kingwood High School filled with water. Businesses at Kingwood Town Center, Kings Harbor and Main Street Kingwood were damaged too. The Houston Health Department also found, citywide, that areas outside the identified floodplain were inundated, so a Kingwood home's flood map status says little about whether its walls got wet.
What to do now
- Stop the water and start drying; EPA's limit is 24 to 48 hours.
- Shut off central air if the ducts or air handler got wet.
- Move belongings out of affected rooms and photograph the damage.
- Bring in a mold assessment consultant who holds a TDLR license to inspect and write a protocol.
- Hire a different company, one that holds a TDLR mold remediation contractor license, for the removal.
- Before rebuilding, check with the Houston Permitting Center; most renovation and repair projects need plan approval before a permit can be bought.
What you see and what usually causes it
| What you see | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Mold low on walls and behind baseboards | River or creek water, or stormwater that pooled against the house |
| Wet patch on a ceiling below the attic | Clogged AC drain line or an overflowing pan |
| Swollen kitchen cabinet bases | Dishwasher or sink leak, or floodwater |
| Musty smell with nothing visible | Hidden growth in a wall cavity or duct |
Cost factors
Angi's Houston cost data puts typical mold removal at $863 to $3,329. Flood-damaged homes often need more: lower drywall removed throughout, plus cabinets and flooring. Add the assessor's fee for the protocol and the clearance visit. The Houston Health Department does not inspect or test for mold and refers those questions to TDLR, so plan on a private assessment. Apartment renters can report water leaks through Houston 311 under the city's Multifamily Habitability program.
Mold Removal & Remediation questions in Kingwood
How do I find out whether my home is in a flood zone?
How do I check a mold company before hiring it?
What does mold remediation cost around here?
Do I have to tell a buyer about past mold remediation?
More mold services in Kingwood
Mold Removal & Remediation nearby
Sources
- EPA: Mold Cleanup in Your Home
- TDLR: Mold Assessors and Remediators FAQs
- TDLR: License Search
- TDLR: Consumer Mold Information Sheet (pdf)
- 16 Tex. Admin. Code 78.150: Photographs; Certificate of Mold Damage Remediation; Duty of Property Owner
- Angi: How much do mold removal services typically cost? (Houston, TX)
- Community Impact: Rebuilding the Lake Houston area
- Houston Public Works: Flood Hazard
- Houston Permitting Center: Building Code Enforcement
- Houston Health Department: Indoor Air Quality
- Houston Health Department: Hurricane Harvey report
- City of Houston: Multifamily Habitability (pdf)
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