The Drying Co. Before & After Photos

A homeowner in Henrico, Virginia called us out to insulate and seal their crawl space from any outside influence. We installed a heavy-duty CleanSpace vapor barrier over the dirt floor, wrapped it around all piers, and mechanically fastened it to the foundation walls. This will help to keep the earth's moisture from rising into the area and increasing the relative humidity. We also covered any open vents and applied a spray foam over the foundation walls, which at an inch and a half thick will act as an air barrier and vapor retarder. With the walls and dirt flooring sealed and insulated, the crawl space will be less affected by outside air and moisture.

Moisture causes a lot of damage in crawl spaces. It floods in through open vents, rises from the earth, and seeps in through foundation walls raising the relative humidity in the space. This results in damaged insulation, mold and mildew growth, high energy bills, drafts inside the home, cold floors, and homeowners may notice high humidity and musty odors in the home as well. 

We removed the old vapor barrier and debris then sealed the vents, penetrations through the foundation walls to the outside, and the sill plate. Next, a CleanSpace vapor barrier is installed, sealing the crawlspace from the earth. Our technicians then apply closed-cell spray foam to the foundation walls and rim band. Finally, a new crawl space door is installed. 

The original liner installed in this Henrico crawl space was a flimsy 6-mil vapor barrier. There were gaps in the liner, exposing the crawl space to moisture rising from the earth. This moisture can increase the relative humidity, which can lead to mold or mildew growth, condensation, and higher energy bills. We replaced this old liner with our 10-mil CleanSpace Light vapor barrier, which gets wrapped around all piers and mechanically fastened and sealed six to eight inches above outside grade on the foundation walls. CleanSpace will help protect the crawl space from moisture rising from the earth and comes with an antimicrobial, called UltraFresh, built into the material to help mitigate mold growth on the liner, itself.

This Henrico, VA client contacted us because they wanted to address the insulation in their crawl space. Moisture had caused damage to the fiberglass insulation and it was sagging and falling to the ground. The unsealed, vented crawl space was allowing moisture to flood in and cause damage to the insulation as well as mold and mildew growth. 

The homeowner wanted to not only reinsulate the crawl space, but they also didn't want to do it again in a few years. After reviewing their options, they opted to encapsulate the space. The crawl space was cleaned out and treated with an antimicrobial. Then, a new vapor barrier is installed sealing the crawl space off from the earth's moisture. Our team then air seals the space by blocking and sealing all vents and sealing any penetrations through the foundation wall to the outside. 

Next closed-cell spray foam is applied to the foundation walls and rim band. A SaniDry Sedona dehumidifier is installed to control the relative humidity and help prevent future microbial growth. Finally, an interior friction-fit door is installed to air seal and insulate behind the exterior door, and an Everlast exterior crawl space door is installed on the outside. 

This homeowner contacted us because there were no gutters on the house. With so many trees near the property, they also wanted to make sure they kept their gutters from clogging and prevented the need to clean them. 

We installed new gutters and downspouts with RainDrop Pro Gutter Guard. RainDrop is super durable, nearly invisible from the ground, and is designed to prevent snagging of debris on top. It lets water in and leaves and debris blow right off.