Mold Removal in Gresham, OR: East-Side Weather and Multifamily Housing

Three generations of housing

The American Community Survey (2020 to 2024) counts 44,005 housing units in Gresham, with a median build year of 1981. Some 10,263 were built before 1970, 10,897 in the 1970s, and 9,115 in 2000 or later. Forty-eight percent predate 1980, so lead-safe work rules (homes built before 1978) and Oregon's asbestos survey requirement (residential buildings built before 2004) apply to a large share of jobs.

The mix also includes more manufactured housing than any other city we serve, 2.8 percent of units, along with 28 percent of homes in buildings with five or more units and 44 percent renter-occupied households. Owners and managers of multi-unit buildings can read about our property manager and landlord services.

Wetter hills, colder nights

NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals show how much rainfall changes over a few miles on this side of the metro. The Troutdale airport station on the valley floor records 40.7 inches a year. A volunteer station about four miles east-southeast of Troutdale, at an elevation of roughly 420 feet, records 56.3 inches. Gresham's eastern edge is hilly, and homes there sit under more rain than the valley figures imply.

Winter weather arrives differently here too. During the January 2024 ice storm, the National Weather Service in Portland noted that the parts of the metro area closest to the Gorge saw freezing rain and gusty winds, and KPTV reported that more than a week after the storm Gresham families were still without power, with temperatures below freezing leaving homes without heat.

What a freeze and thaw does to a house

Burst pipes are the usual route from a cold snap to mold. Portland Fire and Rescue logged more than 1,000 potential water emergency calls between January 13 and 17, 2024, most from burst pipes, and many surfaced when frozen pipes thawed. Water that sits inside a wall for a day or two can feed mold, and the EPA advises drying water-damaged areas and items within 24 to 48 hours. After a thaw, look for damp ceilings, stained drywall, or a musty smell near plumbing runs. Our water damage and moisture control and flood and sewage pages describe the drying process.

Johnson Creek runs through the city

Johnson Creek flows west from farmland near Boring through Gresham and southeast Portland to the Willamette River in Milwaukie, a course of about 24 miles. Creek and groundwater flooding along the lower reaches are covered on those pages.

Neighborhood associations

Gresham's recognized neighborhood associations include Rockwood, Centennial, Powell Valley, Kelly Creek, Pleasant Valley, North Gresham, Hogan Cedars, Northeast, and Southwest. We also serve Happy Valley just to the south.

How the work is planned for Gresham homes

Forty-four percent of Gresham households rent and 28 percent of homes are in buildings with five or more units, so scopes are written for shared walls and plumbing stacks, with dated photographs and moisture readings an owner, manager, or insurer can use. After a freeze, the first step is finding where the pipes let go.

Gresham neighborhoods we serve

• Rockwood
• Centennial
• Powell Valley
• Kelly Creek
• Pleasant Valley
• North Gresham
• Hogan Cedars
• Northeast Gresham
• Southwest Gresham

Services for Gresham homes and buildings

See all services