Most Rains 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 Rains 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.
Coastal Marion County humidity is the other half of it. For much of the year the outside air here is wetter than the crawl space, so any approach that relies on ventilation to finish the job works against itself.
Rains at a glance
| County | Marion County |
|---|---|
| ZIP | 29589 |
| Elevation | about 89 ft |
| Region | Lowcountry and coastal plain |
Named water nearby
- the Old Dead River (lake)
- Haroldson Lake (lake)
- Blocker Lake (lake)
- the River Swamp (swamp)
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
On a Rains job this 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 Rains 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 Rains: common questions
There is already plastic under my Rains 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.
Barrier or full encapsulation for a Rains home?
A barrier covers the ground and stops soil moisture. Encapsulation seals the walls and vents too and controls humidity directly. Which one your Marion County property needs should follow a humidity reading, not a preference.
Will my Rains crawl space dry out if I open the vents?
Usually not. For much of the year the air around Rains is warmer and wetter than the crawl space, so opening it up deposits moisture on the cool joists instead of carrying it away.
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 Rains property changes that.
What should I have ready when I call about my Rains home?
Your street in Rains, 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 Rains
We cover Rains and the surrounding part of Marion County. The same service in nearby towns:
Other crawl space services in Rains
Crawl Space Water Removal in Rains
Standing water pumped and extracted from under the house, then the saturated material taken out.
Crawl Space Structural Drying in Rains
Joists, girders and subfloor dried back to a measured target with air movers and dehumidification.
Crawl Space Mold Remediation in Rains
Contained removal of mold-affected material, HEPA cleaning, and the moisture source shut off.
Crawl Space Drainage and Sump Pump Installation in Rains
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 Rains
Rotted joists, girders, rim joists and subfloor sections repaired or replaced once the space is dry.
Or see everything we cover in our Rains service area, and how this service works across the state on the South Carolina page.
Crawl Space Vapor Barrier Installation in Rains
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.