California Residents Learn How to Protect the Value and IEQ of Coastal Properties

The 800+ miles of California’s coast are world renowned and stretch from San Diego County all the way to Del Norte County. Over a dozen counties line the Golden Coast and are home to some of the most desirable and expensive oceanfront property in the world.

Tens of thousands of homes are located on or near this exclusive stretch of land and most are valued with multimillion dollar price tags. Even with the high cost of ownership, living directly on the coast or within a short walk is a dream come true for many California residents. However, these properties do come with inherent exposure risks and typically require additional preventive maintenance to protect an owner’s investment and even the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of the property.

For example, the corrosive effects of salt that is carried onto a home or building by seaside wind, spray and mist, coat exterior surfaces and accelerates rust on metal objects and the corrosion of other materials.  Properties along the coast may also lie in flood zones and may be subject to strong storms. Water damage caused by flooding may contain raw sewage, microbial contaminants and even hazardous chemicals. Weather events can even cause tidal and storm surges that create land erosion that may threaten a building. Extreme wind and rain from coastal storms can allow moisture to penetrate a building’s envelop leading to water damage, mold growth and even termite infestations.

“It’s a good idea for property management companies and property owners to pay special attention to the maintenance requirements of coastal properties and be on the lookout for any signs of indoor environmental quality issues,” said Michael Chapman, Laboratory Manager of LA Testing’s Huntington Beach facility. “Being proactive can help prevent small issues from turning into expensive repairs and even potentially unhealthy living conditions.” 

LA Testing offers comprehensive indoor environmental quality services for coastal properties to test for everything from mold and bacteria to lead-based paints and asbestos-containing materials. They also offer building inspection equipment ranging from moisture meters and boroscopes to particle counters, infrared cameras and gas monitors. LA Testing also recently sponsored a video about beach home maintenance and IEQ that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/84QlEuqDFDQ.

To learn more about indoor environmental and air quality testing or other building and property inspection services, please visit www.LATesting.com, email  info@LATesting.com  or call (800) 755-1794. For access to indoor environmental test kits, visit www.EMSLTestKits.com.
 
About LA Testing

LA Testing is California’s leading laboratory for air quality testing of asbestos, mold, lead, VOCs, formaldehyde, soot, char, ash and smoke damage, particulates and other chemicals. In addition, LA Testing offers a full range of air sampling and investigative equipment to professionals and the general public. LA Testing maintains an extensive list of accreditations including: AIHA LAP LLC., AIHA ELLAP, AIHA EMLAP and AIHA IHLAP, NVLAP, CDC ELITE, State of California, State of Hawaii Department of Health and other states. LA Testing, along with the EMSL Analytical, Inc. network, has multiple laboratories throughout California including Huntington Beach, San Diego, San Leandro and South Pasadena.
 

Contact Information

Joseph Frasca

Senior Vice President of Marketing

LA Testing

(1) 856-303-2503

Contact via E-mail