The Drying Co. Q&A

Yes. You can ask your Home Performance Advisor at any time for references for our work. 

Yes. We work with Enterbank, a nationwide company that specializes in home improvement loans. 

Every home and project are unique so, giving you an estimated time is difficult. Most appointments take anywhere from 30 – 90 minutes. 

We do not charge homeowners for an inspection or estimate. IT’S COMPLETELY FREE! If you are not the homeowner, please call our office for details

For an open crawl space, we would examine the option of spraying 3” of closed cell spray foam between each bay in the crawl space. Closed cell foam provides a vapor moisture and air barrier at 3”, you also don’t have to worry about it falling or failing over time and it adds strength and durability to your home’s structure.  

Your home will never stop moving or settling as long as the structure is there. The situation will only get worse, but to prevent further damage we can stabilize the structure and allow the ability to adjust as needed to prevent further damage to your home. 

50% of the air you breathe in your home comes from your crawl space. Not only does mold effect your indoor air quality, and can affect your health, but it can cause structural damage to your home. Mold can promote wood rot on the joists of your home compromising its structural integrity. The high humidity and moisture that allow this mold to grow, also create an ideal environment for pests and insects. By not fixing this issue, it will only continue to get worse and become more costly to repair.

Closed Cell Spray Foam is made up by a 2-part chemical when it is being applied, in the raw state it does off-gas but five minutes after it has been sprayed, it will seal and will never off-gas again. The Drying Co. does a positive and negative air pressure during installation of spray foam to help ventilate the area where the foam is being applied. 

CMU piers are a block pier normally installed at new construction these are the cinderblock piers you typically see under your home. CMU piers can settle and cannot be adjusted to support your home’s foundation. Smart Jacks are typically installed after construction and are adjustable allowing for ideal tension and reinforcement to support the load of your home properly.

At new construction, per the latest VA building code, attic insulation needs to be an R-38, what type of insulation is not specified. Exterior walls should be insulated to an R-15, no specification on the type of insulation. In a vented crawl space, R-19 in the floor meets code, in an Encapsulated or Conditioned Crawl Space, an R-10 of continuous insulation on the crawl space walls meets code. 

Foundation cracks can be caused by several different factors, but the most common are tree roots, poor soil, and water erosion. Water and tree roots exert pressure against your home's foundation, eventually, the pressure is too much, and this results in the cracks in your foundation. Loose soil is easily saturated and when filled with water can cause hydrostatic pressure against the foundation walls. As loose soil settles, it also results in a shift in your home’s foundation. 

Properly encapsulating your crawl space with a dehumidifier and, if necessary, interior foundation drainage and sump pump will make the structure more durable. Sealing the crawl space keeps out moisture, by controlling relative humidity we are helping prevent mold from growing. Along with installing a dehumidifier, we can control relative humidity, by doing this, we can help ensure a clean, healthy, dry, and temperate crawl space. This results in better indoor air quality and a more comfortable home.

Sealing the vents as part of an encapsulation in the crawl space helps prevent whatever atmospheric conditions that are outside of the home from entering the crawl space.  This means that we are preventing moisture and humidity from entering the crawl space, which helps control the relative humidity. Sealing your vents also helps deter snakes, pests, and rodents from entering the space and nesting in it. 

Exterior waterproofing stops the water before it enters your basement or crawl space. This solution diverts the water around your home’s foundation to the lowest point of your property. Interior drainage and sump pumps divert water that enters the crawl space or basement out and away from your home’s foundation. This is an ideal solution when waterproofing is not possible from the exterior of the foundation. 

The CleanSpace 20 mil vapor barrier is a 7 ply, string reinforced, polyethylene liner with a built-in antimicrobial. As a result of its thickness it will stand the test of time against a normal crawl space wear and tear. It is durable enough for home owners to use their crawl space for storage without worry of tearing the liner and is sturdy enough for servicemen to crawl on it without puncturing or tearing the liner. The CleanSpace 20 mil vapor barrier is also backed by a 25-year transferable warranty. 

The Latest VA Building Code, which applies to new construction, states that in a vented crawl space, R-19 in the floor meets code, in an Encapsulated or Conditioned Crawl Space an R-10 of continuous insulation on the crawl space walls meets code.

You will receive your official estimate before your Home Performance Advisor leaves your appointment unless any extenuating circumstances arise. 

The most common reasons your windows or doors stick is the settling of your home’s foundation or high relative humidity in your crawl space, basement, or home. This humidity is absorbed by the wood framing of doors and windows causing them to swell this results in the sticking of your doors and windows. It can also result in musty or mildew odors in your home.

There are many variables but the most common are saggy beams and floor joists caused by wood rot or high levels of moisture in the floor joists. It could also be caused by improper installation when the home is constructed. VA building code states you can’t span a floor joist over 16 feet because it will droop. Older homes didn’t have this code resulting in the bouncy spongy, or squishy feeling of the floors in your home. 

We provide customized solutions that address our customers concerns. We would be doing a disservice to you by providing any advice or pricing without first doing a thorough inspection of your home. We would be happy to schedule a time that is convenient for you to perform a complete inspection of your home and provide you with a free quote to solve any concerns you may have. 

The purpose of installing a dehumidifier is to maintain proper humidity levels, slow down or stop mildew/mold growth, and to aid in air filtration. Humidity levels should be no more than 60% in the crawl space. This is an ideal environment because mold requires temperatures of 70 degrees or warmer, 60% relative humidity or higher, and organic material to grow. Keeping the relative humidity below 60% helps prevent the mold/mildew from growing, The Drying Co. uses the SaniDry Sedona as a preferred product to achieve this. 

The goal of interior foundation drainage is to manage any bulk water entry into the crawl space from either foundation wall penetrations or hydrostatic (ground water) pressure. Interior drainage usually consists of a French drain along the perimeter walls, fed to a sump pump and sent through a discharge line away from the hone 10-12 ft. from the foundation. Keep in mind that not every home needs interior foundation drainage, our Home Performance Advisors will do a thorough inspection your basement and/or crawl space to verify if drainage is necessary. 

As a result of the environment created by a proper encapsulation with a dehumidifier, future treatment from pest control and moisture management companies is drastically diminished. Typically, the biggest point of contention stems from a “lack of visibility for inspection” even though a 3” viewing strip is left at the top of the foundation walls as well as the full 1.5” face of the wood sill plate. VA Building Code requires a 2” viewing strip and that the face of the sill plate is visible for pest companies to inspect, by providing visibility with a 3” viewing strip and the full 1.5” face of the wood sill plate, The Drying Co can exceed VA Building Code. The Drying Co. wants to work with termite and pest control companies in order to provide a dry, healthy, and durable crawl space environment. If a homeowner’s termite and pest control company refuse to work with a conditioned crawl space, The Drying Co. can provide references for companies that will. 

The Drying Company purposely hasn’t hired an on-staff engineer because we feel it is a conflict of interest. Third-party engineers look out for the customers best interest to make sure the work is done properly. We are trained by our manufactures what to look for and what is required to fix structural issues. The engineer confirms the placement and number of piers and does a post inspection to ensure that they were installed correctly.

By utilizing a third party instead of an on staff engineer, our clients know that what’s being recommended by the engineer is unbiased. Structural engineers are paid a flat rate for their inspections, they make no commission on how many piers we install, and they don’t have a loyalty to our company to install as many piers as possible. Their ONLY concern, just like ours, is giving YOU, the homeowner, the right solution to protect and stabilize your home.

When remediating mold, it is always recommended to remove the mold with an antimicrobial solution and a physical wipe down of the entire affected area. By just spraying the mold with an antimicrobial, a contact kill can be achieved, however a majority of the bulk material growth, though dead, will remain giving the appearance of active mold growth. This residual material will eventually dry and flake becoming airborne. This can enter your living space as 50% of the air you breathe in your home comes from the crawl space. This airborne mold, though dead, can still be harmful to your health as a respiratory irritant. Please keep in mind that everyone reacts differently to this. 

It may impact your relationship with your current termite and moisture control company depending on their policies. There are, however, termite and moisture control companies, which The Drying Co. has developed relationships with, that will warrant structures with encapsulated crawl spaces. Typically, those companies want to inspect the crawl space prior to encapsulating in order to provide any pre-treatments necessary. Per Virginia Building Code, The Drying Co leaves a 3-inch viewing strip and the full 1.5-inch face of the sill plate visible. This provides termite and moisture control companies the visibility they need to perform their inspections.