Atlanta, GA Vapor Barrier Installation
Crawl space vapor barrier cost varies widely depending on what your situation is like and how serious you are about creating a long-term solution for moisture and water in this area of your home. Similar to the type of car you buy or the accountant you hire, you usually get more bang for your buck if you are willing to spend more.
For some that are experiencing their first time at home-ownership or are dealing with their damaged crawlspace, you may be wondering where vapor barrier (also known as the moisture barrier) even fits into the whole crawlspace encapsulation process. Rest assured you are not alone in this and for one who has never dealt with this area of the home, it's as confusing as hearing a new language for the first time. Take a second, read on, and let Atlanta Crawl Space get you up to speed. When a crawl space is damaged, especially here in the Atlanta, Georgia area, it usually involves some mold or at the very least the smell of mold. It could also include moisture in any amount. The logic behind the encapsulation process is simply to remove all the crawl space water and make sure that it never again gets to that point. Of course, that is the short answer for a complex and expensive issue, but it's the truth. Encapsulation is the process of insulating the crawl space to the point that water will never again pool up or create an environment where mold can grow. |
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Vapor barrier in crawl space is necessary because it serves the same purpose that a plastic bag does when for leftovers in the refrigerator. The bags job is to keep the food fresh and clean, to not let any moisture in or out, and to allow you to enjoy a delicious meal the day after it is cooked. When you really dig into the science behind the moisture barrier, you will be blown away by how much ingenuity actually went into developing that product. Our first piece of advice here at Atlanta crawlspace is to do as much homework as you can handle, and to ask as many questions as you have time to ask. It's impossible to get too much information about all things vapor barrier and crawl space when it comes to a home improvement of this magnitude. Take a moment and search on Google or YouTube for some of the following:
- cost to install vapor barrier in crawl space
- how to install vapor barrier in crawl space
- crawl space vapor barrier lowes (and home depot)
Doing something that simply may seem mundane and a bit of a waste, but you'll thank us when it comes time to make a decision between which direction to go.
Take your time, finish reading the rest of this page, and even go and review the encapsulation process as a whole one more time to wrap your head around how this whole encapsulation thing works. The more you know, the less stressful this is going to be, and the less chance there is of you getting taken advantage of.
What is a Crawl Space Vapor Barrier?
When homes (and specifically crawl spaces) are built, most commonly the floor of the crawlspace is made up of nothing more than dirt. The problem with dirt is that it contributes to worsening the moisture problems that may be under your home. We've said it too many times to count on this site, but moisture is not a good thing to have in the crawl space of your home. For those folks living in Arizona or New Mexico, the chances are high that they will never find moisture anywhere in this part of their home. For those of us here in Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Decatur, and Marietta, we live our lives in moisture. If you are new to the Atlanta, Georgia area, just wait until July and you'll know exactly what we are talking about.
For those of you that enjoy watching house flipping or home improvement shows on television, you may have heard about this thing called vapor barrier that is sometimes installed in the crawl space of the home. There's also a really good chance that if you just moved to Atlanta or to the south that you have no idea what I'm talking about. Moisture barrier is just that: a barrier between the dirt of your crawl space and the air that exists there. The purpose of the vapor barrier is to keep moisture out of the crawl space and let it stay in the dirt. The moisture brings with it a slew of negative things and is better left in the dirt, than floating in the air underneath the home. The vapor barrier resembles a thick, white, plastic sheet and is made up of plastic and foil.
There are many types of vapor barrier available for purchase if you are looking to lay it yourself. If you are interested in buying moisture barrier from us, call us today at 770-637-0939 and let us help you out. A couple of other good places that would be worth checking are Lowes and Home Depot. For a more preventative job, these places supply a great and affordable option. If you've already missed the preventative boat and are now in the process of crawl space repair, you are probably going to need a barrier that is a little more heavy duty. We hear a lot of people ask "are crawl space vapor barriers necessary?" The answer to that questions is yes, and no. What you do to your home is up to you, but if you are a homeowner living in Georgia and you haven't taken any preventative steps to keep moisture out of the crawl, it would be wise to do so immediately. A good first step for you is to actually go down with a flashlight and walk around in your crawlspace to see what's going on. Don't be shocked or upset if you do find water there. If the water is relatively new, you have options and may be able to find a solution for a relatively cheap price. If you come across standing water in the crawl space, however, you need to get a crawl space encapsulation company to your house as soon as humanly possible.
For those of you that enjoy watching house flipping or home improvement shows on television, you may have heard about this thing called vapor barrier that is sometimes installed in the crawl space of the home. There's also a really good chance that if you just moved to Atlanta or to the south that you have no idea what I'm talking about. Moisture barrier is just that: a barrier between the dirt of your crawl space and the air that exists there. The purpose of the vapor barrier is to keep moisture out of the crawl space and let it stay in the dirt. The moisture brings with it a slew of negative things and is better left in the dirt, than floating in the air underneath the home. The vapor barrier resembles a thick, white, plastic sheet and is made up of plastic and foil.
There are many types of vapor barrier available for purchase if you are looking to lay it yourself. If you are interested in buying moisture barrier from us, call us today at 770-637-0939 and let us help you out. A couple of other good places that would be worth checking are Lowes and Home Depot. For a more preventative job, these places supply a great and affordable option. If you've already missed the preventative boat and are now in the process of crawl space repair, you are probably going to need a barrier that is a little more heavy duty. We hear a lot of people ask "are crawl space vapor barriers necessary?" The answer to that questions is yes, and no. What you do to your home is up to you, but if you are a homeowner living in Georgia and you haven't taken any preventative steps to keep moisture out of the crawl, it would be wise to do so immediately. A good first step for you is to actually go down with a flashlight and walk around in your crawlspace to see what's going on. Don't be shocked or upset if you do find water there. If the water is relatively new, you have options and may be able to find a solution for a relatively cheap price. If you come across standing water in the crawl space, however, you need to get a crawl space encapsulation company to your house as soon as humanly possible.
Cost To Install Vapor Barrier In Crawl Space
For the die-hard DIY people out there, this section will be of little value to you. If you are seriously considering the entire encapsulation process yourself, we recommend crawl space vapor barrier home depot. We would also suggest that you take an hour and read through our encapsulation page, to give a little more thought to what you are about to take on. We don't want to discourage you from trying to save money, but we do want you to know what you are biting off and how much work is going to be involved in even the small jobs like crawl space vapor barrier installation. There is a reason this service costs homeowners what it does, it's because it is not for the faint of heart. Just keep in mind that laying 20 mil crawl space vapor barrier is a lot more labor-intensive than building a birdhouse or changing your oil. We are talking about a big job, that if done incorrectly could end up costing you thousands of dollars in the long run.
For the rest of us that know our limitations and have no desire to mess with a part of the crawl space encapsulation process, let's talk for a minute about the price of installing the vapor barrier in the crawlspace. By now if you are a sharp individual, you've probably assumed that this isn't going to be cheap, no matter how you look at it. Even with a DIY job, you aren't going to get this job taken care of without hitting your wallet a bit.
For us to give you an accurate estimate of the cost of vapor barrier installation, we also need to know what shape the crawl is actually in. Is there still standing or settled water in that space? How is the size of the crawlspace? You can rest assured if your crawl space ceiling height is so low even a child would have problems, we will have to charge more because of the additional strain and labor. One thing you'll notice on our free crawl space estimate forms on all of our pages is that we ask many of these same questions up front before we send over any type of quote. These are all factors that are going to go into the overall bid. We also need to know if this is simply a moisture barrier job or if this is a vapor barrier and dehumidifier job. Naturally, you will have the added cost of the dehumidifier, but adding something like this will also mean more work for those of us doing the actual vapor barrier installation.
The one thing we can tell you is that most people who call us that think they only need vapor barrier, are being wishful in their thinking. It is rare to only need a small piece of vapor barrier installed in a crawl space without any other additional work at the same time.
If you would rather someone not come out to the house and would instead rather receive a quote directly over the phone, fill out one of our quote forms and we will call you back as soon as possible. You can also reach us directly at 770-637-0939.
For the rest of us that know our limitations and have no desire to mess with a part of the crawl space encapsulation process, let's talk for a minute about the price of installing the vapor barrier in the crawlspace. By now if you are a sharp individual, you've probably assumed that this isn't going to be cheap, no matter how you look at it. Even with a DIY job, you aren't going to get this job taken care of without hitting your wallet a bit.
For us to give you an accurate estimate of the cost of vapor barrier installation, we also need to know what shape the crawl is actually in. Is there still standing or settled water in that space? How is the size of the crawlspace? You can rest assured if your crawl space ceiling height is so low even a child would have problems, we will have to charge more because of the additional strain and labor. One thing you'll notice on our free crawl space estimate forms on all of our pages is that we ask many of these same questions up front before we send over any type of quote. These are all factors that are going to go into the overall bid. We also need to know if this is simply a moisture barrier job or if this is a vapor barrier and dehumidifier job. Naturally, you will have the added cost of the dehumidifier, but adding something like this will also mean more work for those of us doing the actual vapor barrier installation.
The one thing we can tell you is that most people who call us that think they only need vapor barrier, are being wishful in their thinking. It is rare to only need a small piece of vapor barrier installed in a crawl space without any other additional work at the same time.
If you would rather someone not come out to the house and would instead rather receive a quote directly over the phone, fill out one of our quote forms and we will call you back as soon as possible. You can also reach us directly at 770-637-0939.
What Mil Vapor Barrier Should I Install In My Crawl Space?
In the same, there are different packages and prices when you book a vacation, the cost, and quality of the crawl space vapor barrier you choose will depend on what you are looking to do. We are going under the assumption that you are new to this crawl space encapsulation world and this is the first time you've to repair a damaged crawl. We feel safe in this assumption because if this is your second time around, you probably don't need any more information and wouldn't be reading about vapor barrier on an Atlanta crawl space repair website. Being that this is your first rodeo, a vapor barrier is a thick white plastic material that is installed on the dry floor and walls of a crawl space to keep moisture from entering and causing further damage. To the untrained eye or the uneducated mind, the type of vapor barrier you use seems irrelevant, but to a company that has been doing this over a decade, it can make all the difference in the world. Think of it like footwear. When it comes down to it, the purpose of footwear is to protect the feet. Though that is true, you wouldn't expect a pair of boat shoes to be durable and long lasting while climbing rugged terrain, would you? You'd also expect a brand named boot like Danner would be able to weather the storm a lot longer than a knock-off pair of Justin's that were made for nothing more than looking good.
The thickness of the vapor barrier is absolutely crucial and though a thicker 20 mil vapor barrier will certainly require an added cost, the benefits in the long and short run, far outweigh the cost difference. If this is a diy vapor barrier install that is nothing more than an effort to make your partner happy, the 6 mil vapor barrier may be the right way to go. That is if you don't think he or she is ever going to do their research or go and look at what you installed. Another popular vapor barrier is the 10 mil that serves as a hybrid if you will between the low end and the high end 20 mil. In our opinion, the best choice is to go with the best if you are already going to do it. You are cleaning and encapsulating your crawl space to solve a problem you hope you never have to deal with again, so why would you run the risk of having to redo it. If the job isn't anything big and the crawl space water issues are minimal, this may be a situation where you could get away with doing a 6 mil. In all other situations where the water and mold may be bad, we always recommend installing a 20 mil vapor barrier. Our last bit of advice will certainly contradict what we've stated above. If it comes down to it and the only thing you can afford is the cheap vapor barrier, and your house is experiencing damage as a result of your negligence, do what you have to do and get something installed. Some action is always better than no action.
The thickness of the vapor barrier is absolutely crucial and though a thicker 20 mil vapor barrier will certainly require an added cost, the benefits in the long and short run, far outweigh the cost difference. If this is a diy vapor barrier install that is nothing more than an effort to make your partner happy, the 6 mil vapor barrier may be the right way to go. That is if you don't think he or she is ever going to do their research or go and look at what you installed. Another popular vapor barrier is the 10 mil that serves as a hybrid if you will between the low end and the high end 20 mil. In our opinion, the best choice is to go with the best if you are already going to do it. You are cleaning and encapsulating your crawl space to solve a problem you hope you never have to deal with again, so why would you run the risk of having to redo it. If the job isn't anything big and the crawl space water issues are minimal, this may be a situation where you could get away with doing a 6 mil. In all other situations where the water and mold may be bad, we always recommend installing a 20 mil vapor barrier. Our last bit of advice will certainly contradict what we've stated above. If it comes down to it and the only thing you can afford is the cheap vapor barrier, and your house is experiencing damage as a result of your negligence, do what you have to do and get something installed. Some action is always better than no action.