The Drying Co. Before & After Photos

This Portsmouth, VA homeowner's HVAC has been running constantly. They've been struggling to keep their home at a comfortable temperature in the hot summer months and through the cold of winter. With high energy bills, on top of it, they're ready to solve this problem for good. 

After a thorough evaluation, We worked with the family to determine the best solution for them and their home would be to air seal the attic, seal around can lights (recessed lighting) and utility penetrations, air seal the chimney, add blown-in cellulose insulation to achieve an R-38 and install a David Lewis Pull Down Stair Cover to prevent air loss around the attic access. 

This resulted in the homeowner feeling a difference in the home the same day the work was done and noticing their HVAC turn off! They will start to see a reduction in their energy bills as their HVAC will not need to run as much to keep the home comfortable. 

These homeowners in Chesapeake, Virginia needed help sealing and insulating their crawl space. These pictures show a before and after of installing CleanSpace, a heavy-duty vapor barrier that helps protect the crawl space from moisture rising from the earth. It is wrapped around all crawl space piers and is mechanically fastened 6-8 inches above outside grade. An antimicrobial called UltraFresh is made into the material of this 7-layer polyethylene liner to help protect it from mold and mildew growth. 

This Chesapeake, VA client has been experiencing high energy bills and sweating ductwork in their attic. They chose to insulate the attic from the rafters with Closed Cell Spray Foam Insulation. This brings the HVAC into the conditioned living space and helps to protect the ductwork from the extreme temperatures of the attic allowing it to perform better. Not only does air sealing and insulating the attic reduce conditioned air loss, but it also reduces energy bills and helps to make the home more comfortable. 

These homeowners in Virginia Beach wanted to replace their existing crawl space access well, which was full of dirt and rocks and was allowing outside air and moisture to leak into the crawl space where the well meets the crawl space door.

Our solution was to install The Turtl crawl space access system, designed for below-grade crawl space access. The Turtle provides a clean and convenient access to the crawl space while keeping debris like leaves and rocks out of the way. This durable and lockable access door is made from rigid plastic, which will not rot, rust, corrode, or require new paint and is weathertight.

The foundation walls of this crawl space are made with porous bricks, which are allowing the outside air and moisture to seep through, affecting the relative humidity. An increase in relative humidity can lead to mold growth, water puddles, and weakened structure due to moisture damage. Efflorescence is visible on the walls in multiple places, which occurs when moisture infiltrating through the walls pulls the salts and sediments from within the blocks to the surface, leaving behind a chalky, powdery substance.

Closed-cell spray foam was applied to the foundation walls, which at 1½ inches thick, acts as an air barrier and moisture retarder, protecting the crawl space from the outside influence coming through the walls. All cracks and corners are sealed, and any open vents lining the foundation walls are covered with precisely cut foam board pieces and sealed over with foam.