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 Rembert jobs.
Bare soil under the house is evaporating moisture into the space every day.
Vapor barrier on midlands and sandhills ground
Around Rembert the soil dries at the surface and stays damp below, which makes a bare crawl space floor deceptive: it can look dry while still feeding moisture upward. Sealing the ground is what stops that, and the seams and pier wraps are what make the sealing real.
Around Rembert the water usually arrives in storms rather than steadily. That changes what this work is up against: a lot of water in a short time, then a humid stretch afterwards that keeps the space from drying.
Rembert at a glance
| County | Sumter County |
|---|---|
| ZIP | 29128 |
| Elevation | about 213 ft |
| Region | Midlands and Sandhills |
Named water nearby
- White Oak Slash Lake (reservoir)
- Lake View Pond (reservoir)
- Duck Bottom Lake (lake)
- McDuffie 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
Included as standard on Rembert 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 Rembert 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 Rembert: common questions
Barrier or full encapsulation for a Rembert home?
A barrier covers the ground and stops soil moisture. Encapsulation seals the walls and vents too and controls humidity directly. Which one your Sumter County property needs should follow a humidity reading, not a preference.
There is already plastic under my Rembert 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.
Why is it dry in winter and wet by late summer?
Humidity rather than a failure. An enclosed space under a Rembert floor tracks the outside air, and by August that air has been wet for months.
My house is near White Oak Slash Lake. Does that change anything?
It can. Being close to White Oak Slash 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.
Why does my Rembert crawl space only flood after heavy rain?
That points to surface water rather than groundwater. Storms around Sumter County deliver a lot of water quickly, and when the ground cannot take it fast enough it travels across the surface and in through the foundation vents.
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 Rembert
We cover Rembert and the surrounding part of Sumter County. The same service in nearby towns:
Other crawl space services in Rembert
Crawl Space Water Removal in Rembert
Standing water pumped and extracted from under the house, then the saturated material taken out.
Crawl Space Structural Drying in Rembert
Joists, girders and subfloor dried back to a measured target with air movers and dehumidification.
Crawl Space Mold Remediation in Rembert
Contained removal of mold-affected material, HEPA cleaning, and the moisture source shut off.
Crawl Space Drainage and Sump Pump Installation in Rembert
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 Rembert
Rotted joists, girders, rim joists and subfloor sections repaired or replaced once the space is dry.
Or see everything we cover in our Rembert service area, and how this service works across the state on the South Carolina page.
Crawl Space Vapor Barrier Installation in Rembert
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.