Dry Tek Environmental is a commercial and home improvement contractor specializing in indoor environmental problems caused by excessive moisture. We are located on the Eastern Shore in Salisbury, Maryland.
Dry Tek Environmental provides comprehensive, evidence-based reports, assessments and estimates for problems ranging from musty odors to damage caused by fire and water.
Dry Tek Environmental designs, installs and maintains CHAMP™ Crawl space Humidity and Moisture Prevention Systems in Sa..
"It’s not often that a reviewer praises a contractor for what he DIDN’T do. Austin Ireland, the owner and operator of Drytek, didn’t propose spending several thousand dollars on encapsulating my wet crawl space. He said that in my case encapsulation might not be cost effective. You see, my 50 year-old home’s foundation consists of 8”x 8” wood posts, with the foundation’s perimeter enclosed by 1”x 6” boards, slatted to allow for ventilation. The layout of my irregular crawl space posed other installation problems as well. Among other things, insulation panels would need to be installed to form walls in addition to the vapor barrier and a large dehumidifier. Four contractors/salespersons preceded Drytek’s Austin Ireland. One simply said there’s nothing that can be done. Another proposed encapsulating the crawl space from the OUTSIDE, but thankfully never followed up. Another did an evaluation, but never returned my calls. Dryzone wanted $8,500 but offered a pressure tactic $425 discount if I signed a vague contract the same day the salesman came. Later the salesperson said the installation of insulation boards would raise the cost significantly. The salesperson at Dryzone also said he would call back with details, but didn’t. Drytek’s Austin Ireland, on the other hand, took more time than any of the others to carefully examine my crawl space. I crawled with him as he pointed out the condition of my crawl space and the challenges of encapsulation. By this time, my own research had better prepared me to better evaluate proposals. I found him to be knowledgeable, straightforward and honest. I was a highly motivated prospective customer. Last year a HVAC system had been installed with the air handler, electronics, and ductwork in my crawl space. The moisture in the crawl space last summer was degrading the new system. So what did Austin Ireland of Drytek propose? Four centrifugal snail fans joined together by extension cords, placed strategically in the crawl space. These are not exhaust fans to ventilate, but rather air movers like you may have seen in public bathrooms to dry floors. He even showed me what to do, and wouldn’t take any payment for his visit. After investing $400 the next day at Home Depot , I located the fans, connected the extension cords to the receptacles in the fans and waited for the heat and humidity to test Austin Ireland’s theory. It is now six weeks later and we have had three prolonged periods of hot, humid weather during which I have activated the fans. THE CRAWL SPACE HAS STAYED AS DRY AS A BONE. Amazing! The vast majority of wet crawl spaces need to be encapsulated; mine did not. But it took a trustworthy expert whose ethics mattered more than profit to present the best solution for me. Austin Ireland, owner and operator of Drytek, is that person.
Dale A. on June 2019
