Mold In Basement and Crawl Spaces
Certain features of a home may be more prone to growing microbial growth than others. Basements tend to be the area where mold is most obvious because these spaces are occupied, and water incursion can happen due to poor drainage, high watertable, plumbing leaks, appliance malfunction, and high relative humidity.
Crawl spaces are often earthen spaces between the ground and the sub-floor region of a building or home situated above. These areas are of particular concern because they are subject to all of the things that make mold grow such as;
- Exposed organic materials (soil, a wet earthen floor)
- High relative humidity (passive vents allow humid air to pass as well)
- Materials which tend to grow mold (wood joists and sub-flooring, paper backed insulation)
- Lack of ventilation or air movement
- Water at the foundation due to poor grading and drainage
Crawl spaces also raise concern when HVAC ductwork moves through them potentially drawing in air ambient to the crawl space. In some cases if mold is present in the space it can increase the mold spore concentration within the areas above.
Crawl spaces are not easy to inspect. They are confined spaces and are usually difficult to access fully. None-the-less, it is a good idea to include the crawl space as part of a mold/moisture inspection so you will better understand what conditions are present.
We can help you understand the status of a crawl space better in your existing house or a home you may be considering to purchase. Let us know if you have a crawl space so we can plan to have equipment and time to inspect it.
Contact or call RTS Environmental to schedule an inspection:
800-722-5589
rtsenviro@comcast.net