Mold Remediation in Portland, TN

Highland Rim town, karst underneath

Portland is a small city in far northern Middle Tennessee, about 32 miles north-northeast of Nashville, mostly in Sumner County with a portion in Robertson County. It sits on the Highland Rim, calls itself the strawberry capital of Tennessee, and has the railroad running through the middle of town.

Sumner County's Flood Insurance Study names Donoho Branch as a frequent flooding source in Portland, tied to sinkholes and the area's drainage. The Portland Flood Channel, finished in 1997, was built to cut that flooding down. During the May 19, 2017 flash flooding in Sumner County, news coverage noted multiple rescues in Portland. In limestone country like this, water can rise from below and pond in low spots, so a crawl space or basement may get wet even when no creek leaves its banks.

The houses themselves

Portland's housing is newer than much of the region, with a median year built of 1995. Most homes are single-family, but about 11 percent are mobile or manufactured homes, and more than a third of households rent. Manufactured homes deserve a close look underneath: wet ground, torn vapor barriers and leaking supply lines can soak the belly insulation and subfloor out of sight. Newer site-built homes have their own weak spots, such as tight construction that holds humidity in when bath and kitchen fans are not used.

Permits and code complaints

The City of Portland Building Codes Department handles permits for new construction, remodels and demolition inside city limits, along with plan review and inspections. Mold cleanup is not something you pull a permit for, but replacing subfloor, framing or walls afterward may be. The same department takes property nuisance complaints, so renters with a leak the landlord hasn't repaired have a place to go.

Health and the call

The Sumner County Health Department has its main office in Gallatin and clinics in Hendersonville and Portland. EPA notes that mold can irritate the eyes, skin, nose, throat and lungs and that people with asthma or weakened immune systems should keep away from moldy areas; for personal health questions, see a health professional.

When you call, you'll be connected with an independent local company. Mention whether the home is site-built or manufactured and whether water came up from below. A job of $25,000 or more requires the Tennessee contractor's license with the mold remediation (S-F) classification. If your address is on the Robertson County side, residential work from $3,000 to under $25,000 also needs the state Home Improvement license, since Robertson is among the counties TDCI lists. Check any company on TDCI's Verify a License search.