Crawlspace Doctor

Brad Dehring was a joy to work with. He and his team were prompt and professional, and the quality of their work was excellent. I had to delay the start of the project for a number of weeks, and Brad was extremely patient and flexible. He and his team arrived as committed, and they finished the work more quickly than expected. I am thrilled with the results. My crawlspace is clean and dry, and the musty smell that was in my home previously is now gone. I recommend Brad and his team for any crawlspace project.

Brad and the guys were remarkable. They were all very efficient, professional, and respectful of our property while they were doing the work. I believe that the encapsulation performed will save us a lot of money in future because the moisture level in the crawlspaces has dropped drastically since the encapsulation was completed and the cupping in our hardwood floors has been steadily declining. I only wish I had been smart enough to do the encapsulation before the floors were affected at all. The crawlspace itself is now dry, with no more water condensing on pipes and dripping onto the floor. I have even started storing things that are susceptible to moisture damage down there as it is a lot drier than my garage now. The bottom line is that, for me, this project was a great success, and I am glad I found Crawlspace Doctor (ie ... Brad) to do the work. I am a do-it-yourself kind of person, but would not want to tackle this job at all. I think work done by Brad's team was a bargain and I gladly recommend his outfit to anyone else who has problems with crawlspace humidity.

I chose the company after finding them on Angie’s List because they were local. I worked closely with the owner. They kept everything on schedule and completed the work on time. They charged a decent price and the work has held up. I have no issues with them.

Very positive experience! Above and beyond what I expected as far as options, information, and honesty

Brad was really great to work with. Kept me informed of everything. Showed me before and after pictures. Worked with me on the price and materials. He carted off all of the junk/debris, etc. Pulled out all of the old moldy insulation and completely sealed up the space so no more moisture, no more mold! He even replaced my light bulb!! Once they start a job they see it through--no back and forth while they try to do other jobs at the same time. Just great from start to finish. Just realize that this is a big job (took them 4 full days for a 2000 sq. ft. house) and this is reflected in the price. However in the end I definitely think it was worth it.

Brad and his team did a very professional job. They cleaned up after the job was done. Brad told me to check things out and if I had any issues to call him and he would take care of them. I did a "crawl through" inspection and found some minor things that I wanted to get taken care of. I gave Brad a call and we worked out a time when he and his team could come back and take care of my list. They came out and completed the job to my satisfaction. I would recomend Brad Dehring, The Crawl Space Doctor to any one who has issues with their crawl space. Brad is a very nice young man and will do the job right and do what he says he will do.

As a business manager for 24 years, I am very impressed with Brad's professionalism and his knowledge concerning crawlspace renovations. I had 6 companies to give me estimates for sealing or renovating our homes crawlspace.My husband did have some criteria and concerns which I spoke extensively to each contractor. I explained what my husband and I were looking to do in our crawlspace.and requested 2 different pricing estimates, one basic and one cadillac. The estimates ranged from $1800.00 to $10,000.00. Although each contractors were quit through when looking under our home, Crawlspace Doctor Brad Dehring was the only company which found 3 potential problems, 2 leaks under the house and a need for a rodent barrier. Also, because of how we heat our home through out the winter, there was concern about humidity build up under our house during the winter. Brad worked with my husband and to resolve this potential problem. I was very delighted with the two gentlemen working for Brad. These men were quick, quiet, and very professional at all time. They arrived on time, went to work, and cleaned up after each days job. As for pricing I feel what we paid to Brad and Crawlspace Doctors was a great investment in the protection of our home and reduction in our carbon foot print. My many thanks to Brad and his team and gratitude for a job exceptionally done. Yes I would use his company again and recommend Crawlspace Doctors to anyone looking for crawlspace renovation.

They were prompt and they responded immediately.

I received thorough, knowledgeable advice and estimate.

Brad was on time, professional and so far, stands behind his work. The price was B simply because itwas expensive but the price was well in line with the industry standard and worth it. Besides, you can't put a price on keeping your health and I recommend this proceedure for any home with a crawspace. It extends the heat envelope, cuts down on the insects and most of all, eliminates the mold and mildew so common to crawspaces. They were very informative and offered choices that could keep the price down.

After approaching two other contractors about this crawl space closure I decided that Brad's proposal best suited my needs & budget for my rental property. Brad's estimate was extremely detailed and his mold remediation referral was an excellent match-up as well. He was able to work with me on dates and timing and stuck to the schedule like a pro. He worked well with my HVAC choice and was very courteous and considerate of my property's tenants. He was always on time for our meetings, was willing to drive well over from Raleigh to Burlington to meet my schedule restrictions. I was extremely pleased with how he handled the work from start to finish.

Work was performed around our hectic schedule & was done quickly.

Went well over all. Would like to have a season to observe and assess again to see how well this works over an entire year. So far we are pleased. Owner worked closely with us to resolve minor issues. Right now, everything looks really good. Like I said, we'd like to watch this over an entire change of seasons to see how well it does in the hot and humid months. Up to now, we're very pleased.

Overall the process went well. Brad kept in touch with us on a regular basis keeping us apprised of each step, when we could expect his team to arrive and what they would be doing each day.

His crew was efficient, hard-working and friendly. The work took a bit longer than he had first estimated, actually 8 days compared to original estimate of 3/4 days. but I was watching and I thought they were doing everything right as they went along. There were some structural features in my crawl space (unusually large number of support piers, (41)) that made the work uncommonly difficult, but Brad and the crew just slogged away at it until they got everything sealed according to our contract. I now have a crawl space that is clean and dry. We could have tea in there. The relative humidity (he installed a gauge that can be read from inside the house) is staying between 51% and 55%, which is about as good as we could hope for. The relative humidity in the living quarters stays around 60%

We had already researched sealing the crawlspace and we knew we wanted to do it and after talking with Brad and several other companies we definitely wanted Brad to do it. He kept us informed every step of the way and was very punctual. It was a wonderful experience. Since it was done, Brad has checked back in with us and will make an in person visit soon. Great company to work with. Our house already feels more healthy and comfortable and I get this has increased the value of our house and the longevity of the joists and floors.

After discovering I had high levels of humidity in my home?s crawlspace and trying every fad imaginable to correct the problem, I finally discovered the fantastic services provided by Brad Dehring of Crawlspace Doctor. (See my background information, below, for more information.) Among many services offered, Brad performs a crawlspace sealing technique usually referred to as ?crawlspace encapsulation.? All crawlspace openings are sealed and the floor and walls are covered and sealed in thick plastic. The idea is to seal off your crawlspace from all outside weather/environmental influences. The goal is to stabilize the temperature and humidity in your crawlspace at safe and comfortable levels. Before the work by Brad Dehring and Crawlspace Doctor, my crawlspace had humidity levels as high as 95%!!!! Now, one month after the complete renovation and encapsulation of my crawlspace by Brad and his team, my crawlspace humidity levels have stabilized at 55% to 60%. I hereby declare my verdict: AWESOME!!!!! Really, if you need your crawlspace issues solved, Brad Dehring at Crawlspace Doctor is THE solution. End of story. The process started with a full inspection of my crawlspace by Brad. He went through the crawlspace taking photos and measuring humidity and temperature. His results confirmed the findings of a previous inspection performed by another contractor just weeks prior: my crawlspace was a rainforest of high humidity, water condensation and who knows what else. What a mess!! (See the attached pictures) Brad and I sat down and went over the pictures and the humidity/temperature readings. He must?have spent 3 hours answering my questions and addressing my concerns. He was a wealth of information. I agreed to have him perform the work. Brad sent out his team and the following work was performed over a one-week period: 1. Any and all junk in the crawlspace was removed. 2. They permanently removed all of the old, damp, wet, moldy insulation from between the floor joists and everywhere else. 3. Any mold on the remaining surfaces was cleaned and removed. 4. All crawlspace vents were permanently sealed. 5. Every hole, gap or crack in the floor, walls, around wire/pipe entries ? everywhere - was foam sealed. 6. The concrete walls were first covered with 12 mil, nylon-reinforced plastic (A 3 inch gap is left at the top to accommodate termite/insect inspections). 7. The plastic on the walls were then covered with silver 2-inch thick foam insulation (it has a silver foil surface), which is anchored to the cement/brick wall, the seams sealed using aluminum tape. 8. Both, the plastic and the insulation on the walls are tightly and neatly cut to fit snugly around wires and pipes passing through the walls. 9. The floor was covered wall-to-wall with white, 12 mil, nylon-reinforced plastic. 10. All plastic seams are overlapped by (a minimum of) 12 inches and bonded together using Vapor Bond (Vapor Seaming) Tape. 11. Two special purpose 50 CFM crawlspace vents were installed on my HVAC plenums. These are one-way vents, allowing air to enter (but not backup from) the crawlspace. 12. My crawlspace door was climate sealed. (If needed, they would have replaced my crawlspace door, but my door was in great shape.) 13. Brad and his crew did a final cleanup of my crawlspace and left it looking beautiful. Throughout the process Brad made himself available and regularly checked up on the process with personal visits and/or phone calls, always taking the time to answer any of my questions or address any concerns I might have had. Brad?s team was energetic, polite and professional. There?s not much more I can say to drive the point home. Brad Dehring of Crawlspace Doctor is THE person to call if you want a healthy and safe crawlspace. I couldn't?t be any more enthusiastic about my endorsement for the services and solutions Brad offers. If you have any questions regarding this review please feel free to contact me. **************** [BACKGROUND] **************** In July 2012 I had my yearly termite inspection performed on my home. The good news is, no termites. The bad news was, I had about 95% relative humidity under my home in my crawlspace. The wood joists were saturated with moisture and water was condensed on many surfaces. This is the first home I?ve owned with a crawlspace, so I didn?t have any idea how moisture could affect a home. I reviewed some of the pictures that were taken during the inspection and it just didn?t look like a good environment to have under my main living space. I did a little bit of research and what I found was really quite alarming. Moisture in your crawlspace can cause any number of problems in your home: ? Mold or moisture damage in the crawl space or living area; ? Musty odors in the living area; ? Condensation ("sweating") on air conditioning ductwork or equipment; ? Condensation on insulation, water pipes or truss plates in the crawlspace; ? Buckled hardwood floors; ? High humidity in the living area; ? Insect infestations; ? Rot in wooden framing members. Fortunately for me the only symptoms I currently had in my crawlspace was some high humidity with condensation. But the other symptoms concerned me greatly. I was most concerned with any amount of mold forming and the possible effects on my health. People don?t realize mold can begin to form at only 70% humidity. That?s right ? at only 70% humidity you may have mold growing right under your feet in your crawlspace. Not to mention, none of the possible problems listed above are covered by insurance. If your hardwood floors buckle because of high humidity in your crawlspace, if the wood holding up your home rots and needs replacing, the cost of repairs comes straight out of your pocket. Insects could be another problem. Termites LOVE moist wood and they can do serious, serious damage - and reputable exterminator companies won?t warranty your house against termites if your crawlspace relative humidity is at 70% or greater. This is another expense insurance won?t cover. These are the types of concerns I had to weigh against the cost of encapsulating my crawlspace. In my situation, I have hardwood floors throughout my first level. If they were to become damaged it would cost me in excess of $10,000 to replace. Mold was another concern. As it turns out, I did have some minor surface mold below my subfloor (Brad removed it). It wasn?t discovered until the insulation was removed. Insulation is wonderful in the right environment, but in a high humidity environment like your crawlspace all it does is act like a sponge, trapping and holding moisture against your subfloor ? a perfect petri dish for mold to grow. Inspectors often miss this kind of mold simply because your insulation is in the way. This process performed by Crawlspace Doctor permanently removes all insulation. Condensation was another problem. My HVAC ducts run through my crawlspace. I never thought about the effects of condensation on the ductwork. Look at the pictures I?ve attached to this review. My ducts were starting to rust and the insulation around my ducts were so saturated you could squeeze them like a sponge and water would fall out. The bottom line for me is, I now have a healthy and safe crawlspace, maintaining a relative humidity level of 55% to 60% (I installed a wireless hygrometer to monitor the space) and a stabile temperature of 70 to 73 degrees. It should be noted that after the completion of the work I had my electrician come in and install lights throughout the crawlspace. This is so I can now do my own work under the house and my HVAC maintenance guys just love it. Check out my pictures.

I was shocked when I placed a remote reading temperature and humidity sensor in my crawlspace and found that we were at or near saturation nearly all year round. No wonder there was a stale odor and growing mold! I actually thought the pan on my HVAC leaked because water would drip off it but the problem was actually condensation. I first tried a SmartVent, a powered vent that only runs when the air outside is dryer than the air under the house. It helped a bit but it is actually rare here in central NC for the humidity outside to be low enough for a vent to help. Then I tried sealing the vents and using a small household humidifier draining into the HVAC condensate drain line. That actually lowered the humidity to about 60% for over a year. Still, I could hear it running and couldn't help but think about the power it was using and wonder if it was leaking. After I found the hose leaking one day I decided something else had to be done. I read the Advanced Energy report on crawl spaces. Just Google it. It is the only real science in this field. They used 12 houses on the same street, built at the same time, to the same specifications and treated them 3 different ways. You'll have to read the report but the bottom line was sealing the crawl space, insulating the walls, and venting the HVAC into the space resulted in lowered humidity, mold, and lowered energy costs. I seriously thought about doing the job myself but after reading some reports on others doing it, I decided it was too much for me. Boy am I glad I did! After seeing it done, I know it would have killed me! I got three bids from reputable local companies. The other two were for super attractive and very expensive overkill solutions. They make the space look like a playroom; I didn't need that. Brad of CrawlSpace Doctor proposed to do just what is called for in the Advanced Energy report for much less money than the other two. Three to four guys worked like madmen for 6 days to get it done and they did an amazing job. No way I could have done it this well. The young fellows who did the work were polite and hard working. Brad was careful to explain what they were doing and very responsive to my questions and suggestions. The crawlspace looks amazing.

Dennis C*** came out in October after a routine heating tuneup revealed standing water, mice, and mold in our crawlspace. My husband had been coming home from from work and immediately starting to sneeze - he would joke he was allergic to our house. Needless to say, it was all the mold spores coming in through our central air/heat! We got four estimates and Dennis was right in the middle price-wise -a fair price for a crawlspace that is roughly 2200 square feet. He did a thorough evaluation, complete with yucky photos of dead and live mice, mold, mud, puddles, etc. and then talked through his product and service. He was our last estimate and we were quite pleased that he lined up nicely with research my husband had done after having heard the spiels from the others. Some wanted to put in NASA-quality plastic/sealant (overkill and very pricey), others seemed to want to treat the symptoms (dehumidifiers). Dennis seemed practical and reasonable. Not having budgeted for a $7600 project, he was kind enough to allow us a 12-month payment plan as well. Work started in November and was prompt and on time (they did start a day earlier than planned without notifying me so I was a bit startled to hear voices under my feet while in the kitchen!). I am amazed at how much they could do in a "crawl space" - you cannot stand down there at all and it is big! They cleaned out all the nastiness and installed a clear plastic barrier, including taping up the walls. They sealed the vents leading to the outside. The whole thing is sealed off and climate controlled at this point. I purposely waited six months to write a review to make sure the work stood up. We have had several torrential downpours and bad storms and it is perfectly dry down there. Our termite company came out for a routine yearly exam last week and exclaimed it was the best work they have ever seen. Probably the only (small) issue was that they used cement to seal up our exterior vents on a red-brick house so I do feel those are not as aesthetically pleasing (some are on our patio area and visible)- perhaps in the future they can give homeowners a choice on materials to seal it so it blends with the house better. Cement did drip onto our siding and onto the brick deck area as well and was not cleaned up.Overall, though, I do feel they did a great job on taking care of a gross, nasty problem in an area that most people would not want to work in! My husband stopped sneezing immediately, too!

Our crawlspace was a dank and musty place. There had been a leak under the foundation footing due to an inept plumber. Moisture over the years had resulted in mold and fungal growth on the floor joists. We are beginning major renovations on the house and after repairing the foundation leak I started investigating how to dry out the crawlspace as it was still very humid and musty smelling. When I built the house the conventional wisdom was to use foundation vents to keep air moving under the house to keep it dry. I installed extra vents during construction thinking "more was better". I have now found that this theory is flawed and that vents allow warm humid air under the hose and actually promote the conditions I had been fighting. The air handler for my downstairs heat pump was dripping with condensation during warm months. After reading numerous articles online, I decided that crawlspace encapsulation was the way to go. I had also read on numerous forums about the nightmares that some folks had dealt with when they chose the wrong contractor. I joined Angie's List specifically to find a contractor to do the job. I emailed Crawlspace Doctor on a Sunday evening after reading their reviews. Brad Dehring called me promptly on Monday morning and asked if he could help. He explained the theory behind crawlspace encapsulation and I made an appointment for an evaluation and estimate. Brad arrived right on time and inspected the crawlspace. He then explained what needed to be done, what I could expect after the job was completed, how long it would it take to complete and the cost. I signed the contract that morning. There was a small amount of mold and a good amount of fungal growth that would need remediation. Brad recommended AdvantaClean of the Triad to do the job. Brad put me in touch with the owner, Dave Cotten and the job was started and completed a few days later. Prior to any work being done I had decided to replace the sixteen year old water heaters installed in the crawlspace. I asked Brad if I should have this done before or after the liner was installed. He told me that it would be ideal to do it prior to installing the liner and then made the two hour round trip to the house just to deliver some liner for the plumbers to put under the new heaters. Brad and his two man crew were on the job immediately after the AvantaClean crew was finished.Brad called me every day to report on the progress being made and to inform me what was planned for the next day. During the job I discovered that my HVAC system would need replacement and was worried that the HVAC contractor's crew might damage the liner during installation. Brad placed indoor/outdoor carpet in the ares that they would be working to prevent any damage to the liner at no extra charge. The job also included installing a metered air vent into my HVAC supply line to condition the crawlspace area. My HVAC contractor was going to install this vent while inspecting my system but discovered that due to the placement of the duct work, there was not a central location available and suggested installing two vents. The vent was supplied by Brad and only one vent was included in the contract price. Brad supplied the extra vent at no additional cost. The crawlspace is now absolutely beautiful! It's cool and the humidity level is now on par to the inside of the house. I'm not exaggerating when saying that you could put a television and recliner down there and be just as comfortable as you would be in your living room. Brad and his crew were professional, courteous and a pleasure to deal with. The work was done as agreed to and at the contract price. I highly recommend them.

Crawlspace Doctor along with Rainbow International (a part of the same company) came out and evaluated the damage. My homeowners insurance covered most of it minus the deductible. They were professional and efficient and did an excellent job of cleaning up and removing the plastic. Crawlspace Doctor then came out and replaced the plastic in the crawlspace.

Brad and his crew completely sealed our crawlspace, as well as hauling away a fair amount of debris. They were able to schedule the job within a few weeks, and it took 3 days or so to complete. We had had some moisture problems in the crawlspace previously, all of which have been cleared up. The crew were very professional, and kept us up to speed with their progress. The owner personally followed up with us afterwards to make sure everything was completed to our satisfaction. Overall we were very happy with our experience!

I called the Crawlspace Doctor after doing research on Angie's List and elsewhere. They seemed to be exactly what I was looking for since we were having some problems with drainage around our foundation. I called the Crawlspace Doctor and they were very responsive. We set up an appointment for a free estimate. They came out at exactly the scheduled date/time. He called beforehand just to be sure I was home and remembered the meeting. After going around our house and looking at the drainage outside we went under the house. He took notes and as it turns out recommended improved landscaping that would probably take care of the problem. Just in case he also provided me with 2 estimates of work that could be done if we still had the problem after the landscaping was done. I really appreciated the promptness, professionalism, and honesty. If I have work related to foundation/drainage problems I will certainly contact the Crawlspace Doctor.

While I have not decided to do the work yet, when I am ready to have it performed - Brad will be the one to do it.

We noticed that our downstairs bedrooms had a musty odor that seemed to be coming from the crawl space so I called Brad from the Crawl Space doctor. He explained everything that his company would do in an easy-to-understand way. Brad went into our crawlspace and discovered that we had a guest living there (probably a racoon or possum based on the droppings) and we also had some sink holes & water issues. He & his assistant showed up when promised and now our crawl space is energy efficient, mold-free and critter-free! They also even removed the critter droppings! They were also super fantastic with my curious 3-year old niece who was visiting, as well as both our dogs. I would HIGHLY recommend them!!