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Top-Notch Waterproofing Woods Business Booming 2 Local Biz Earn Major Honors Woods Does Their Part for St. Louis Veterans Woods Visits Connecticut for 2009 Convention Contact Us Financing Available	Frequently Asked Questions How can closing my vents and encapsulating my crawl space save 15% of my energy costs? A vented crawl space wastes an enormous amount of energy. Since a home "breathes" (drawing air from lower levels and expelling air via upper levels), outside air is flowing constantly throughout a home that has a vented crawl space beneath it. This outside air, which the home has sucked from the crawl space cavity below, carries with it excess humidity from the moisture-laden soils of the crawl space floor. This type of airflow increases the work load of a home's heating and cooling system since the air must be cooled, dehumidified and/or heated. This taxes even the most efficient heating and cooling system. By simply encapsulating a home's dirt crawl space and closing all vents, a home can draw air from proper sources such as return air vents and exchangers instead of pulling from poor air quality cavities such as a dirt crawl space. This is the equivalent of shutting open doors or windows and eliminating energy dollar loss. An independent study revealed that homeowners who properly fix their vented dirt crawl space can save 10% to 20% on their heating and air conditioning costs! In addition to home energy savings, a properly encapsulated and sealed crawl space prevents eventual wood floor joist replacement due to rot, costly mold remediation and eventual property-value reduction. My home was waterproofed by the builder just a few years ago, why do I have a wet basement? Wet basements are a problem in new and old homes alike. The problem with most new construction waterproofing, however, is that it is one of the first jobs completed by the builder. Typically this "waterproofing" consists of a spray-on exterior damp proofing and the installation of a perimeter drain tile system. Once these installations are complete, literally dozens of the of the contractors involved in building a new home go to work on top of, around and make holes in the foundation for electrical conduit, gas lines, other utilities and ultimately, jeopardize the system's performance. Because of this, even new homes can experience water intrusion problems. Is the SaniDry System portable if I ever choose to move? Yes, the SaniDry Basement Air System is portable and can be moved easily. Just remember, when selecting a position for the SaniDry in your home, be sure to place it near a floor drain for consistent, unrestricted drainage from the unit...or to our radon approved floor drain in our sump systems' sealed lid. What is condensation and why is it happening in my basement? Whenever outside air is warmer than inside air, a condensation problem is likely to appear. Basements are below ground and therefore, most of the time, fairly cool. When moist, hot air are combined with cool basement conditions, condensation forms on cool surfaces. To best eliminate condensation in a basement, the humidity in the air needs to be reduced or "dehumidified." For energy-efficient dehumidification and air filtration, consider the SaniDry Basement Air System for your basement. This unit uses the same amps as a 40 pint unit, but our SaniDry dehumidifies over 80 pints. What is this white chalky substance flaking off my basement walls? This substance is called efflorescence. It consists of deposits from the minerals in the concrete, mortar, or soils that remain behind when water evaporates from the surface of the wall or floor. It appears as a white powder or crystals. It is sometimes confused with mold, but is not alive like mold, it's just residue. This is a sign that water is slowly coming through the wall or floor. I have cracks in my foundation and my basement, how do I tell if they are serious? Most people have no idea how to tell if cracks in their foundation walls are serious or not. Some shrinkage cracks are common in poured concrete walls and floors, but other cracks are not. In most cases a crack is a sign that something has moved or settled. This is especially obvious if the crack is wider at one point than another. Why are vents in a crawl space such a big problem? Building codes used to require vents to be placed in crawl spaces beneath homes during the construction phase. Since then, building officials have realized these requirements are incorrect, since vents allow hot and humid summer air to flow into crawl spaces promoting condensation, wood rot and mold growth. In winter months, open vents allow cold air to enter crawl spaces and flow unrestricted into upper levels increasing heat loss and lowering energy efficiency.