We will tell you if crawl Space Vapor Barrier Installation is not what your Plum Branch crawl space actually needs. Doing this stage out of order is the most common reason the work has to be repeated.
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 Plum Branch 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 Plum Branch. Clay turns water away rather than absorbing it, so water arrives at the foundation from uphill and then sits against it for days.
Plum Branch at a glance
| County | McCormick County |
|---|---|
| ZIP | 29845 |
| Elevation | about 459 ft |
| Region | Piedmont and Upstate |
Named water nearby
- the Little River (stream)
- Old McCormick Town Reservoir (reservoir)
- the Rocky Creek (stream)
- the Landam Branch (stream)
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
Included as standard on Plum Branch jobs:
- 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 Plum Branch 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 Plum Branch: 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 the Little River, drainage comes first or the sheeting simply floats on it.
There is already plastic under my Plum Branch 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.
Can I stay in the house while the work is done?
In almost all cases, yes. The work happens under the floor, and access is usually through an exterior hatch. We will tell you up front if anything about your Plum Branch property changes that.
Will my Plum Branch crawl space dry out if I open the vents?
Usually not. For much of the year the air around Plum Branch is warmer and wetter than the crawl space, so opening it up deposits moisture on the cool joists instead of carrying it away.
My house is on a slope. Does that make it worse?
Usually. Water landing uphill of a Plum Branch house travels along the clay to the foundation, so intercepting it uphill often does more than extra pump capacity underneath.
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 Plum Branch
We cover Plum Branch and the surrounding part of McCormick County. The same service in nearby towns:
Other crawl space services in Plum Branch
Crawl Space Water Removal in Plum Branch
Standing water pumped and extracted from under the house, then the saturated material taken out.
Crawl Space Structural Drying in Plum Branch
Joists, girders and subfloor dried back to a measured target with air movers and dehumidification.
Crawl Space Mold Remediation in Plum Branch
Contained removal of mold-affected material, HEPA cleaning, and the moisture source shut off.
Crawl Space Drainage and Sump Pump Installation in Plum Branch
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 Plum Branch
Rotted joists, girders, rim joists and subfloor sections repaired or replaced once the space is dry.
Or see everything we cover in our Plum Branch service area, and how this service works across the state on the South Carolina page.
Crawl Space Vapor Barrier Installation in Plum Branch
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.