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 Union 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 Union 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 Union. Clay turns water away rather than absorbing it, so water arrives at the foundation from uphill and then sits against it for days.
Union at a glance
| County | Union County |
|---|---|
| ZIP | 29379 |
| Elevation | about 640 ft |
| Region | Piedmont and Upstate |
Named water nearby
- Foster Park Lake (reservoir)
- Poplar Lake (reservoir)
- Reno Lake (reservoir)
- Union Water Works 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
On a Union 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
The cost of this work does not stay flat. Every season a Union 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 Union: common questions
Barrier or full encapsulation for a Union home?
A barrier covers the ground and stops soil moisture. Encapsulation seals the walls and vents too and controls humidity directly. Which one your Union County property needs should follow a humidity reading, not a preference.
There is already plastic under my Union 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 Union property changes that.
Why does my Union crawl space stay wet for days after the rain stops?
Piedmont clay. Around Union, at roughly 640 feet, the ground holds water against the foundation long after the surface looks dry.
My house is on a slope. Does that make it worse?
Usually. Water landing uphill of a Union house travels along the clay to the foundation, so intercepting it uphill often does more than extra pump capacity underneath.
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 Union
We cover Union and the surrounding part of Union County. The same service in nearby towns:
Other crawl space services in Union
Crawl Space Water Removal in Union
Standing water pumped and extracted from under the house, then the saturated material taken out.
Crawl Space Structural Drying in Union
Joists, girders and subfloor dried back to a measured target with air movers and dehumidification.
Crawl Space Mold Remediation in Union
Contained removal of mold-affected material, HEPA cleaning, and the moisture source shut off.
Crawl Space Drainage and Sump Pump Installation in Union
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 Union
Rotted joists, girders, rim joists and subfloor sections repaired or replaced once the space is dry.
Or see everything we cover in our Union service area, and how this service works across the state on the South Carolina page.
Crawl Space Vapor Barrier Installation in Union
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.