Taken on its own, crawl Space Vapor Barrier Installation treats one part of the problem. Taken in order, it is the part that makes the rest hold. That is how we schedule it on Mountville jobs.
Bare soil under the house is evaporating moisture into the space every day.
Vapor barrier on piedmont and upstate ground
On clay the ground under a Mountville house holds water long after rain, so the barrier is doing two jobs — stopping soil moisture coming up, and keeping the space off ground that stays wet for days at a time.
Piedmont clay is what this work is dealing with in Mountville. Clay turns water away rather than absorbing it, so water arrives at the foundation from uphill and then sits against it for days.
Mountville at a glance
| County | Laurens County |
|---|---|
| ZIP | 29370 |
| Elevation | about 627 ft |
| Region | Piedmont and Upstate |
Named water nearby
- Blackmonds Pond (reservoir)
- Hollingworths Pond (reservoir)
- Dennon Jones Lower Pond (reservoir)
- Dennon Jones Upper 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
What is included on a typical Mountville property:
- 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
The cost of this work does not stay flat. Every season a Mountville crawl space stays wet moves more of the job from drying towards framing repair.
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 Mountville: common questions
Barrier or full encapsulation for a Mountville home?
A barrier covers the ground and stops soil moisture. Encapsulation seals the walls and vents too and controls humidity directly. Which one your Laurens County property needs should follow a humidity reading, not a preference.
Will a barrier stop water that is already getting in?
No. A barrier manages soil moisture and vapor, not liquid water under pressure. If water is entering the space near Blackmonds Pond, drainage comes first or the sheeting simply floats on it.
Is the damage sudden or gradual here?
Gradual, mostly. Around Mountville it arrives in steps — a little with each storm — so by the time a floor feels soft upstairs the framing has usually been damp for a while.
Do you work outside Mountville itself?
Yes. We cover Laurens County broadly, including Cross Hill, Waterloo and Clinton, and the rest of the Piedmont and Upstate of South Carolina.
What should I have ready when I call about my Mountville home?
Your street in Mountville, when you first noticed it, and what you can see or smell — standing water, a waterline on the piers, insulation hanging down, or a floor that has gone soft. Photographs help.
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 Mountville
We cover Mountville and the surrounding part of Laurens County. The same service in nearby towns:
Other crawl space services in Mountville
Crawl Space Water Removal in Mountville
Standing water pumped and extracted from under the house, then the saturated material taken out.
Crawl Space Structural Drying in Mountville
Joists, girders and subfloor dried back to a measured target with air movers and dehumidification.
Crawl Space Mold Remediation in Mountville
Contained removal of mold-affected material, HEPA cleaning, and the moisture source shut off.
Crawl Space Drainage and Sump Pump Installation in Mountville
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 Mountville
Rotted joists, girders, rim joists and subfloor sections repaired or replaced once the space is dry.
Or see everything we cover in our Mountville service area, and how this service works across the state on the South Carolina page.
Crawl Space Vapor Barrier Installation in Mountville
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.