You’ll notice the difference in your first-floor air within days. That musty smell disappears. The floors feel warmer in winter. Your HVAC system doesn’t work as hard, and your energy bills drop by 15-20% on average.
But the real value shows up over time. Wood stays dry, so it doesn’t rot. Mold doesn’t grow because there’s no moisture to feed it. Pests lose interest because the environment isn’t hospitable anymore.
Your home becomes more comfortable year-round. Humidity stays in check even during North Carolina’s sticky summers. And if you ever sell, buyers see a well-maintained crawl space as a major plus—not a red flag that costs you negotiating power.
This isn’t about making your crawl space look pretty. It’s about protecting your investment and making your home healthier from the ground up.
We’re BBB Accredited and NADCA certified, which means we follow industry standards that actually matter. Rick Watson leads our team with ASCS and CVI certifications—credentials that require ongoing education, not just a weekend course.
We’ve worked in enough Groometown crawl spaces to know what North Carolina’s climate does to homes. The humidity here isn’t seasonal—it’s relentless. That’s why we don’t just throw down a vapor barrier and call it done.
You’ll get a thorough inspection, honest recommendations, and work that holds up. We document everything with before-and-after photos because we want you to see exactly what changed and why it matters.
First, we inspect your crawl space to identify moisture sources, structural issues, and any existing mold or pest damage. You get a clear explanation of what we find—no jargon, no upselling.
Next comes crawl space cleaning. We remove debris, old insulation, and anything that shouldn’t be down there. If there’s mold, we address it before sealing anything in.
Then we install a heavy-duty vapor barrier across the floor and up the walls. This isn’t the thin plastic you’d buy at a hardware store—it’s thick, durable material designed to block ground moisture completely.
We seal all vents and gaps to stop outside air from bringing in humidity. If your crawl space needs it, we install a dehumidifier to maintain optimal humidity levels year-round. Finally, we add crawl space insulation where it makes sense for energy efficiency.
The whole process typically takes one to three days depending on your space. When we’re done, you’ll have a dry, clean crawl space that works for your home instead of against it.
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Complete crawl space encapsulation means sealing every moisture entry point. That includes vapor barrier installation across 100% of the floor and foundation walls, not just the ground.
We seal foundation vents permanently because open vents bring in humid air during summer—the exact opposite of what your crawl space needs. Dehumidifier installation keeps humidity below 60% year-round, which is the threshold where mold starts growing.
In Groometown, NC, we see a lot of homes with inadequate moisture control because previous contractors took shortcuts. Partial barriers don’t work. Unsealed vents don’t work. Skipping the dehumidifier in North Carolina’s climate doesn’t work.
You’ll also get structural protection. Dry wood doesn’t rot, which means your floor joists stay strong. Your HVAC system pulls from cleaner air, which improves indoor air quality throughout your home. And because up to 50% of your first-floor air comes from the crawl space, sealing it properly affects every room above it.
This is a complete system designed for long-term performance, not a quick fix that fails in two years.
Most crawl space encapsulation projects in Groometown run between $3,500 and $7,000 depending on the size of your space and what condition it’s in. If there’s existing mold or structural damage, that adds to the cost because those issues need to be fixed before we seal anything.
The price includes vapor barrier installation, sealing all vents and gaps, and usually a dehumidifier. Larger crawl spaces or homes with difficult access cost more because they require more materials and labor.
Here’s what matters more than the upfront cost: the return. You’ll save 15-20% on energy bills annually, which is $300-$400 for most homeowners. You’ll avoid thousands in future mold remediation or structural repairs. And your home value increases because buyers recognize a properly encapsulated crawl space as a major selling point.
A professionally installed vapor barrier lasts 20-25 years when it’s done right. The dehumidifier will need maintenance and eventual replacement after 10-15 years, but the sealed system itself holds up for decades.
The key is proper installation. Cheap materials or incomplete sealing fail much faster. If vents aren’t sealed or the vapor barrier doesn’t extend up the walls, moisture finds a way in and the whole system underperforms.
We use commercial-grade materials designed for long-term crawl space conditions. That means thick vapor barriers that resist tears and punctures, sealed seams that don’t separate, and dehumidifiers rated for continuous operation. When you invest in quality work upfront, you’re not redoing it in five years.
Yes, if the smell is caused by moisture and mold—which it almost always is. That musty odor is mold releasing spores into the air, and those spores travel up through your floors into your living space.
Once we seal the crawl space and control humidity, mold stops growing. No new growth means no new odor. If there’s existing mold, we remove it before installing the vapor barrier so you’re starting with a clean space.
Most homeowners notice the smell is gone within a week or two after encapsulation. The air in your home feels fresher because you’re no longer pulling contaminated air up from below. If the odor persists after encapsulation, that tells us there’s a moisture source we missed or an issue elsewhere in the home—and we’ll find it.
In North Carolina, yes. Sealing the crawl space stops most moisture from entering, but it doesn’t eliminate humidity that’s already there or moisture that comes through the concrete foundation walls.
A dehumidifier keeps humidity below 60%, which is critical because mold grows rapidly above that threshold. Even a sealed crawl space in Groometown’s climate will creep above 60% humidity without active control, especially in summer.
The dehumidifier also protects your investment. If humidity rises after encapsulation, you’ll end up with the same mold and moisture problems you paid to fix. Adding a dehumidifier costs more upfront, but it’s the difference between a system that works long-term and one that fails within a few years.
Yes, and that’s one of the benefits most homeowners don’t think about until after the work is done. A properly encapsulated crawl space is dry, clean, and low-humidity—perfect for storing holiday decorations, seasonal items, or anything you don’t need regular access to.
Before encapsulation, storing anything in your crawl space meant exposing it to moisture, mold, and pests. Cardboard boxes would deteriorate. Fabric would get musty. Metal would rust.
After encapsulation, your crawl space becomes usable space. The vapor barrier creates a clean surface, the dehumidifier keeps everything dry, and the sealed environment keeps pests out. Just avoid storing anything directly against foundation walls where condensation might still occur, and you’ll have a functional storage area that doesn’t damage your belongings.
Moisture keeps accumulating, which means mold keeps growing and wood keeps rotting. Your energy bills stay high because your HVAC works harder to condition humid air. The air quality in your home stays poor because you’re constantly pulling contaminated air up from below.
Eventually, structural damage becomes a real concern. Floor joists weaken from rot, which can lead to sagging floors or worse. Mold spreads into your ductwork and living areas, which creates health problems for anyone with allergies or asthma.
Pests move in because they’re attracted to moisture and rotting wood. Termites, carpenter ants, and other wood-destroying insects thrive in damp crawl spaces. By the time you notice the damage, you’re looking at repairs that cost significantly more than encapsulation would have. The longer you wait, the more expensive the fix becomes.
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