GARDEN GROVE, Calif. — LA Testing announced that it is providing testing for mold and indoor air quality (IAQ) issues in crawl spaces.

The company said that, for homes and buildings built with a crawl space, the area under the building is in most cases rarely seen. In fact, many crawl spaces may go years without ever being inspected.

When a moisture problem does develop in a crawl space, unless it is a catastrophic flooding event, it may go unnoticed for some time. Crawl spaces that develop a high relative humidity level can easily become a perfect breeding ground for mold growth. This is especially true when a crawl space has a bare earth floor. The soil can wick moisture from moist to dry areas. The relative warmth of a typical crawl space can then dry the soil by evaporation. This adds moisture to the air in the crawl space, often making it an ideal environment for mold to grow.

In addition, crawl spaces often contain water and sewer pipes. These can develop leaks over time or have issues related to condensation. During extreme cold weather, they can also freeze and burst causing major water issues.

“Moisture that accumulates in a crawl space may also enter other parts of a building and contribute to potential mold growth in those areas,” said Michael Chapman, laboratory manager of LA Testing’s Garden Grove facility. “Any airborne mold spores or fragments in a crawl space can usually also enter a home or building through cracks and openings. Because many crawl spaces are also frequently used to house air ducts from the HVAC system and since these ducts often have leaks and openings, they too often help to spread mold from a crawl space throughout a building.”

LA Testing said it helps residents across California test for mold in crawl spaces and other hidden areas of homes or other types of buildings. The company offers the sampling equipment and analysis to identify mold and other IAQ contaminants.

To learn more about crawl space testing or other indoor environmental testing services, visit www.latesting.com.

Publication date: 3/3/2014

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