Crawl Space Moisture Control

Crawl Space Encapsulation Company Serving Richmond, Williamsburg, Henrico & Nearby

Achieve a Healthier, More Sanitary Living Environment with Crawl Space Moisture Control

Why is this a problem?

  • Mold and mildew growth: A damp environment is very unhealthy and destructive. Mold thrives and reproduces by producing airborne spores by the millions, some of which are toxic.
  • High humidity: High humidity is absorbed into the wood structure and moves upward into the hardwood floors which causes the floors to "cup". Cupping is when the hardwood floor absorbs so much moisture the wood swells and pushes upward at its edges.
  • Structural damage: Rot and decay occur in damp environments causing structural damage.
  • Higher energy costs: Heating and cooling costs are higher in a home with a vented dirt crawl space.
  • Insects and critters: Insects and critters of all kinds love damp environments and wet materials.
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What's the solution?

CleanSpace® Authorized Dealer

The way to protect a home with a crawl space is to seal the crawl space with an encapsulation system. An Encapsulation Crawl Space System completely isolates your home from the earth and dramatically reduces the humidity level. In most cases, this has the effect of eliminating mold growth, rot, and critters from your crawl space, and making the whole house healthier.

Our encapsulation crawl space system installation is a 6 step process:

  1. Our trained installers will remove wood and organic materials from your crawl space floor. Rocks and uneven surfaces are leveled, depending on the crawl space conditions.
  2. The crawl space liner is carefully cut and installed. The workers will usually be working in their socks once the floor piece is laid out to keep the liner clean. That's how clean your crawl space will be!
  3. Small holes are drilled into the top of your crawl space walls and nylon fasteners are installed to permanently secure the liner to the walls.
  4. The top edge of the liner is sealed to the walls with a polyurethane sealant. All seams are sealed with special 4'' wide sealing tape and/or sealant made for the liner. It is also sealed around other objects such as pipes, columns, and piers with any combination of sealants or concrete.
  5. The liner is completely sealed over the floor and walls to fully isolate your home environment from the earth. The liner is a heavy 20 mil thick material similar to a pool liner. It is manufactured in 7 layers - a blend of high-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, and two layers of polyester cord reinforcement. The bright white finished side really brightens a crawl space and allows you to easily see that your crawl space is free of mold, insects, and dirt.
  6. Finally, the vents will be closed up to save you money on your energy bills.

Before and After
  • Mold Remediation in Mineral, VA Crawl Space
    Before
    Mold Remediation in Mineral, VA Crawl Space
    After

    Before encapsulating this crawl space, we treated the joists with an antimicrobial called Shockwave. This product is a hospital-grade antimicrobial designed to kill the mold and mildew growth. 

  • Mold in New Kent, VA Crawl Space
    Before
    Mold in New Kent, VA Crawl Space
    After

    As the insulation acts as a sponge, it holds moisture against the wood joists raising the moisture content of the joists. Mold requires organic material, warm temperatures, and relative humidity above 60% to grow. Often we see mold growing on the paper backing of the insulation and on wood joists in the crawl space. As the moisture content in the joists increases, the probability for wood rot becomes more likely. Once the joists reach 19% moisture wood rot begins. An antimicrobial called Shockwave is sprayed onto the joists to kill the mold. Once the encapsulation is complete and the dehumidifier is installed it will be set to turn on before the humidity in the crawl space reaches 60% (The ideal point for mold to grow). The Encapsulation system will help prevent ideal conditions for mold to grow from occurring and make the home healthier and more comfortable.

  • Midlothian, VA Crawl Space Encapsulation
    Before
    Midlothian, VA Crawl Space Encapsulation
    After

    Initially, this crawl space was encapsulated with a 6-mil vapor barrier and R-11 vinyl faced fiberglass insulation. Thhomeownerer contacted us with concerns about an ammonia, or animal urine odor in her home and poor air sealing. 

    Our goal was to remedy the Home Owner’s concerns of foul odors in her home and wasted energy. To achieve this, we installed a 20 mil Clean Space Vapor Barrier on the floor of the crawl space and around the piers. We installed Foamax board insulation on the walls leaving a 3-inch viewing strip for pest control companies to do their inspection. We applied spray foam insulation to the rim and band and sill plate to create an air seal and reduce drafts coming into the crawl space. Finally, we installed a Sani Dry Sedona Dehumidifier, the leading dehumidifier on the market, to pull any moisture that enters the crawl space out. 

  • Crawl Space Encapsulation in Midlothian, VA
    Before
    Crawl Space Encapsulation in Midlothian, VA
    After

    This crawl space was originally encapsulated at construction with a 6 mil Vapor Barrier and R-11 vinyl faced fiberglass insulation. The homeowner complained of an animal urine or ammonia odor in their home. This was a result of moisture entering the crawl space through the porous cinder block walls and saturating the fiberglass insulation. 

    We installed a 20 mil Clean Space Vapor Barrier, Foamax Insulation Board, sealed the rim & band and sill plate, and installed a SaniDry Sedona Dehumidifier. This approach will help keep moisture out of the crawl space and control relative humidity. 

  • Moisture Issues in a Toano, VA Crawl Space
    Before
    Moisture Issues in a Toano, VA Crawl Space
    After

    This homeowner had concerns about water entering their crawl space. At our inspection one of the concerns, we found that the existing vapor barrier was not sealed, allowing moisture in. As part of the solution, we installed a 20mil Heavy-duty, Vapor Barrier with UltraFresh Antimicrobial built-in, called CleanSpace. We ran it up the walls sealing it and leaving a 2" viewing strip for a termite inspection and sealed and wrapped all the piers. 

The finished liner is tough enough for you to crawl on it and use your crawl space for storage. Servicemen can crawl on it without worrying about putting holes or tears in the liner. It completely stops moisture penetration. The result is an attractive, bright, tough, impervious liner and a healthy home above it.

The Drying Co./ThermalTec proudly services the areas of Midlothian, Glen Allen, Mechanicsville, Chester and nearby.

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our service area

We serve the following areas

Our Locations:

The Drying Co./ThermalTec
236 Industrial Blvd
Suite A
Toano, VA 23168
1-757-645-0270

The Drying Co./ThermalTec
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 637
Toano, VA 23168
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