The Drying Co. Before & After Photos

The open vents allow moisture and outside air into the crawl space. This makes it extremely difficult to control the overall relative humidity underneath a home. The dry winter air entering the vents will cause the floors above to feel cold and drafts, as well as raising the energy costs to keep the house comfortable. And in the summer, the wet, hot air will carry moisture into the crawl space, raising the relative humidity and allowing mold and mildew to thrive.

The foundation walls of this crawl space have been sprayed over, using a closed-cell spray foam that provides not only insulation but blockage from outside air moisture, while the open vents were sealed with foam board and covered in the same closed-cell spray foam. When closed-cell spray is applied at 1.5” thickness, it acts as an air barrier and vapor retarder. Sealing off the outside air and moisture provides the homeowner with more control over the relative humidity in the crawl space.

The insulation in this crawl space beginning to pull apart and fall to the floor. Fiberglass insulation is not meant to hold moisture, and it loses its value when it becomes damp. Water droplets displace the air in the spaces between the glass fibers, reducing the material's thermal abilities. The wet insulation fibers pull apart and the added weight of moisture causes it to sag and even fall to the crawl space floor, rendering it useless.

Most crawl spaces in our area, like this Chester, VA home have fiberglass insulation between the floor joists. However, this is not an effective solution in our area due to high humidity and warm temperatures over half of the year resulting in high relative humidity, falling insulation, and microbial growth. So instead, the foundation walls were insulated using closed-cell spray foam which acts as an air barrier and vapor retarder, while the home was sealed from the earth’s moisture with CleanSpace, a heavy-duty vapor barrier. The foundation vents were sealed with Foamax foam board and covered over with closed-cell spray foam. Not only does all this protect the crawl space from moisture, with the addition of a dehumidifier it helps control the relative humidity, improves air quality, and reduces energy bills.

Radiant barrier insulation board installed in room over garage in Sandston, VA home. 

Front room over garage with radiant barrier insulation installed. 

Front room over garage radiant barrier insulation application in Sandston, VA