On a Pauline job, crawl Space Vapor Barrier Installation follows from the inspection rather than preceding it — there is no point specifying this work before the source of the water is known.
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 Pauline 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.
Clay also makes Pauline crawl spaces slow to dry. The surrounding ground gives moisture back reluctantly, which is why this stage is finished against a reading rather than a date.
Pauline at a glance
| County | Spartanburg County |
|---|---|
| ZIP | 29374 |
| Elevation | about 761 ft |
| Region | Piedmont and Upstate |
Named water nearby
- Sherberts Lake (reservoir)
- Croft Lake (reservoir)
- Lake Edwin Johnson (reservoir)
- Forest Lake (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 Pauline 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
A crawl space problem in Pauline is not self-limiting. The conditions that created it are still there, and they are still working.
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 Pauline: common questions
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 Sherberts Lake, drainage comes first or the sheeting simply floats on it.
Barrier or full encapsulation for a Pauline home?
A barrier covers the ground and stops soil moisture. Encapsulation seals the walls and vents too and controls humidity directly. Which one your Spartanburg County property needs should follow a humidity reading, not a preference.
My house is near Sherberts Lake. Does that change anything?
It can. Being close to Sherberts Lake usually means a higher water table and a longer wet season under the floor, so drainage and a properly sealed barrier matter more here than they would further from it.
Will my Pauline crawl space dry out if I open the vents?
Usually not. For much of the year the air around Pauline is warmer and wetter than the crawl space, so opening it up deposits moisture on the cool joists instead of carrying it away.
How quickly does water under a Pauline 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 Spartanburg County that window is shorter in summer than in winter, because the space stays warm and humid.
I already have plastic down there. Is that enough?
Often not. Most of the sheeting we find has been laid loose, has torn, has pulled away from the walls or was never sealed at the seams. Unsealed, incomplete sheeting lets ground moisture track around and through it, and performs much closer to bare soil than to a finished barrier.
Vapor barrier near Pauline
We cover Pauline and the surrounding part of Spartanburg County. The same service in nearby towns:
Other crawl space services in Pauline
Crawl Space Water Removal in Pauline
Standing water pumped and extracted from under the house, then the saturated material taken out.
Crawl Space Structural Drying in Pauline
Joists, girders and subfloor dried back to a measured target with air movers and dehumidification.
Crawl Space Mold Remediation in Pauline
Contained removal of mold-affected material, HEPA cleaning, and the moisture source shut off.
Crawl Space Drainage and Sump Pump Installation in Pauline
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 Pauline
Rotted joists, girders, rim joists and subfloor sections repaired or replaced once the space is dry.
Or see everything we cover in our Pauline service area, and how this service works across the state on the South Carolina page.
Crawl Space Vapor Barrier Installation in Pauline
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.