Where Is That Musty Smell Coming From?

Here in Southern California, we are not used to humidity. Until this year, I have never heard the word “muggy” used to describe the outside air where I live. Although it does not quite compare to the wall of moisture I walked into coming out of the airport this weekend, it is much damper in SoCal than normal and the mold spores are higher than usual. And as of this writing, mold spores in other parts of the US are very high and dangerous to those with allergies, sensitivities or asthma.

We are all used to seeing mold in the bathroom–it’s impossible to avoid it completely, but what about the crawlspace under your house. My cat goes in there occasionally, but I sure don’t. Is there mold growing down there?

Moldtips.com tells us that there are three things mold needs to thrive: food, moisture and warmth. I think our crawlspace probably has all three. What can we do about that?

• Cover the soil–you can create a water barrier between the soil in your crawlspace and the home above.
• Keep vents clean–ventilation can let in moist air, but it also helps things dry out. Make sure the vents to your crawlspace are not clogged with leaves or other debris. Consider closing the vents in summer and opening them in winter to keep air which holds more moisture from getting under the house.
• Fix leaks promptly–although you do not go into the crawlspace under normal circumstances, if you have had a leak or a flood, you cannot afford to neglect the damage that may have been caused. Call a professional mold removal company and have it cleaned out right away before the damage creeps up from the crawlspace into your living area.

Mold that is easy to see is also easy to clean up. But the mold you can see is only a sign of the mold that you can’t. If you need help with mold in California–in a crawl space or anywhere else contact us! Let us crawl around under your house and make sure it’s clean, dry and healthy!