Services

Crawl Space Renovations

We are the Triangle's Crawl Space Experts offering the only true ONE-STOP-SHOP crawl space renovation service!!

  1. Mold Removal & Clean-Up
  2. Healthy Sealed Crawl Spaces
  3. Moisture Control
  4. Drainage Systems
  5. New Insulations (All Types)
  6. Microbiocides & Mold Encapsulations
  7. Dehumidifiers
  8. Air Ducts
  9. Crawl Space Health Maintenance Service™
  10. Financing

1. Mold Remediation

We offer multiple mold removal methods ranging from basic to sophisticated, such as dry ice blasting. Our work procedures include appropriate safety steps for both you and our crew, such as establishing negative air containment areas, air scrubbers, and crew safety protective gear.

2. Healthy Sealed Crawl Space Systems

Is your crawlspace:

Uncontrolled moisture often creates an environment which supports mold growth, pests, wood rot, etc. Crawl space moisture (humidity) comes from various sources: the ground, foundation walls wicking up moisture, and humid air coming in through the vents and other cracks in the foundation wall. The fact is, those vents in the foundation walls of the crawlspace don't work, no matter if they're automatic or not! You can't dry air with humid air. And the outside air is only dry from November to March. That leaves seven months of deterioration and 5 months of little change.

And if the foundation of your house is unhealthy, so it the rest of your house! Sixty percent (60%) of your first floor living space air comes from your crawl space! Air readily moves through unseen holes in your home. Like it or not, what's in your crawlspace air is in your lungs! Ask us, and we can test your house to prove it.

The Cure

As experts in healthy indoor environments, Stream has the best fix for your unhealthy crawlspace. There are two steps: first remove the mold, then fix the root cause of the problem so it'll never happen again! As for the fix, we use a proven and effective method of sealing the crawlspace to effectively convert it into a clean, new, dry space. No bugs. No mold. No musty odors. It becomes like a short, dry basement.

If you have the mold removed but don't correct the root cause, then mold will just grow back again and the wood will continue to slowly rot from high humidity inside the crawl space. Why wouldn't you get the complete solution?!

This new, dry and clean climate will no longer support mold and it discourages pests. It will also improve your indoor air quality in your living space and improve the comfort in your first floor living space through solving the root cause of the problem, not by treating a symptom or masking the problem!

Stream exceeds the new strict building codes governing these building systems. Please contact Stream for more details.

The Result

System Features

Here are just some of the features of our crawl space system that go "the extra mile" that most others do not. We understand exactly how it all works - we don't just install materials and hope for the best, we guarantee the results!

A Top Quality Crawlspace System at a Value Price!!!

A Word About Drainage Problems

Many homeowners and home inspectors think water drainage issues cause mold. This is not completely true. A foundation drainage issue is just that, and it needs to be corrected. But drainage problems do NOT directly cause mold and wood rot. Here's why.

Mold and wood rot are caused by high humidity in the crawl space. This is a characteristic of the air, not of the ground. The top four sources of high humidity in crawl spaces, in order, are:

  1. Soil evaporation from the ground upward
  2. Humid air from outdoors via small holes in the foundation, vents, etc.
  3. Evaporation from damp masonry foundation walls
  4. Puddles from pipe leaks, broken dryer vents, etc.

The first source above can be solved with simple plastic poly sheeting over 100% of the ground in the crawl space. Good thing, because a tremendous amount of moisture is released into the air from uncovered soil. But the second source can only be addressed with an properly air-sealed crawl space system. It has been shown in various government-funded and other research studies that hot humid air enters the crawl space through cracks and cools down. When that air cools, its relative humidity shoots way up, many times to the point of condensation. That's just the way air behaves. This is why many times condensation droplets form on A/C ducts, wood joists and insulation. The water didn't jump up from a puddle. More likely, the puddle was formed by drops of water from all the condensation on the building materials!!

The third is usually a distant third as a moisture source, and in most homes, negligible. It's far more important to ensure good air sealing and air pressure inside the crawl space to keep out humid outdoor air than to worry about what little evaporation might occur from masonry walls. They're usually fairly dry.

Now, it is true that foundation water intrusion and drainage problems do plague many homes. In that case, drainage problems do contribute to the air's humidity problem by making the soil and masonry foundation walls damp, and thereby significantly increasing their rate of water evaporation. But if your home has a drainage problem, it should be corrected first anyway! Remember, drainage problems and humid air problems have different root causes, and therefore, different solutions. Two problems, two solutions. So fix the drainage problem first, then install a sealed crawl space to solve the humidity problem.

Remember, there are thousands of homes with no drainage problems that do have sick crawl spaces due to high humidity. It's an AIR HUMIDITY problem, not a WATER problem. This is because water evaporation is a function of surface area and temperature, not of the volume of water in the puddle. In fact, many puddles we see in crawl spaces were formed by sweating air-conditioning ducts because the crawl space air humidity was too high in the first place!!

If you do need a crawl space foundation drainage system, Stream will install it too!

5. Insulations

What kind is the best? Is it possible to mis-install it? How effective are radiant barriers? Is the use of spray foam insulation advisable? Does it meet the residential building codes for fire safety? Energy experts understand the answers to these questions the best. We can help.

6. Microbiocides & Mold Encapsulations

We offer a variety of appropriate microbiocides for knock-down kill and on-going protection. Our anti-mold protective encapsulant coatings are the industry's top quality choice (Foster brand). While a sealed crawl space system control humidity, these applications offer a good second line of defense, especially if the power goes out for extended periods of time.

7. Dehumidifiers

We offer 3 different dehumidifiers, as well as drying fans. All of these are ENERGY STAR® labeled and very energy efficient. We offer warranty and non-warranty repair service on these also. Please contact us for details.

8. Air Ducts

We're licensed as experts in HVAC, so we can repair and seal your ducts or install a new system to work in concert with your newly renovated crawl space!

9. Crawl Space Health Maintenance Service™

Since we're a service company too, our Crawl Space Technicians can inspect or service whatever your crawl space needs, whether Stream installed it or not! You can get our annual Crawl Space Health Check-Up™.

10. Financing

3 Months Same-As-Cash! or 9.9% APR Custom Credit Lines!! See your Stream Sales Engineer for details.

EnergyLoan® Financing available at 13.99% installment loans!

Pricing

Find out how your crawlspace may be the biggest single problem causing an unhealthy home. Call today for a FREE crawl space inspection or the Stream Whole-House Assessment™.