Most Loris homeowners arrive at crawl Space Vapor Barrier Installation having noticed something else first: a smell, a soft patch in the floor, or insulation on the ground. The inspection decides whether this is the right stage to start at.
Bare soil under the house is evaporating moisture into the space every day.
Vapor barrier on lowcountry and coastal plain ground
A barrier earns its keep faster around Loris than almost anywhere. With the water table close to the surface the soil underneath is damp more or less permanently, so an uncovered crawl space floor is evaporating into the space every day of the year.
Low ground and a long wet season change what this work has to withstand around Loris. Homes near Loris Oxidation Pond in particular tend to need the drainage question answered as well, or the space simply returns to how it was.
Loris at a glance
| County | Horry County |
|---|---|
| ZIP | 29569 |
| Elevation | about 98 ft |
| Region | Lowcountry and coastal plain |
Named water nearby
- Loris Oxidation Pond (reservoir)
- Hughes Mill Pond (lake)
- Tyler Ponds (lake)
- Allsbrook Pond (reservoir)
Signs you need this
- Bare soil anywhere on the crawl space floor
- Existing sheeting that is torn, bunched or not sealed at seams
- Barrier that stops short of the walls and piers
- Crawl space relative humidity holding above 60 percent
What the work involves
For a Loris crawl space, the work covers:
- Clearing and preparation of the crawl space floor
- Reinforced polyethylene barrier across the full soil area
- Overlapped and sealed seams
- Barrier carried up and sealed to walls and piers
Why it is worth dealing with now
Waiting is the expensive option here. Moisture that has been under a Loris floor for a year has already changed what the repair involves.
The full method and the step-by-step for this work is on the Crawl Space Vapor Barrier Installation page, and how it behaves across the state is on the Vapor barrier in South Carolina page.
Vapor barrier in Loris: common questions
Barrier or full encapsulation for a Loris home?
A barrier covers the ground and stops soil moisture. Encapsulation seals the walls and vents too and controls humidity directly. Which one your Horry County property needs should follow a humidity reading, not a preference.
There is already plastic under my Loris house. Is that enough?
Often not. Most of what we find has been laid loose, has torn, or was never sealed at the seams and walls. Unsealed sheeting performs much closer to bare soil than to a finished barrier.
How quickly does water under a Loris house need to come out?
Quickly. Wood starts absorbing moisture immediately and mold can establish on damp material within roughly 24 to 48 hours. In Horry County that window is shorter in summer than in winter, because the space stays warm and humid.
How do I know whether it is groundwater or a leak?
That is the first thing we establish on a Loris call, because everything after it depends on the answer. A supply line, a drain, water rising through the soil and runoff coming in through the vents each leave different evidence.
Do you cover all of Loris?
Yes — Loris and the surrounding part of Horry County, including the 29569 area. We also work in nearby Green Sea, Longs and Conway.
What is the difference between a vapor barrier and encapsulation?
A vapor barrier covers the soil and stops ground moisture evaporating into the space. Encapsulation goes further — ground, walls and usually the vents are sealed and the space is brought inside the building envelope, normally with a dehumidifier to control humidity directly. Encapsulation does more and costs more.
Vapor barrier near Loris
We cover Loris and the surrounding part of Horry County. The same service in nearby towns:
Other crawl space services in Loris
Crawl Space Water Removal in Loris
Standing water pumped and extracted from under the house, then the saturated material taken out.
Crawl Space Structural Drying in Loris
Joists, girders and subfloor dried back to a measured target with air movers and dehumidification.
Crawl Space Mold Remediation in Loris
Contained removal of mold-affected material, HEPA cleaning, and the moisture source shut off.
Crawl Space Drainage and Sump Pump Installation in Loris
Interior drainage to collect water, a sump and pump to lift it, and a discharge that takes it away.
Crawl Space Wood and Subfloor Repair in Loris
Rotted joists, girders, rim joists and subfloor sections repaired or replaced once the space is dry.
Or see everything we cover in our Loris service area, and how this service works across the state on the South Carolina page.
Crawl Space Vapor Barrier Installation in Loris
Call (888) 724-1354 and tell us your street and what the space looks like. We will tell you whether this is the right stage to start at.
Tell us what you are seeing under the house and we will tell you what it needs.