You’ll notice the difference within weeks. Floors feel warmer in winter. That musty smell disappears. Your HVAC system doesn’t run constantly trying to fight humidity it can’t win against.
Encapsulation creates a sealed environment in your crawl space using a heavy-duty vapor barrier, dehumidifier installation, and proper insulation. This keeps ground moisture where it belongs—in the ground. Not in your floor joists, not in your ductwork, and not in the air your family breathes.
Homeowners in Sedalia, NC typically see energy costs drop by 15-20% after encapsulation. That’s real money back in your pocket, year after year. You also avoid the bigger problems: wood rot, mold remediation, sagging floors, and pest infestations that love damp crawl spaces.
We have an A+ BBB rating and over a decade of experience solving crawl space problems in the Greensboro area, including Sedalia. Owner Rick Watson leads every project, and we don’t subcontract the work to strangers.
We’ve seen what North Carolina’s humidity does to crawl spaces. Sedalia gets the same weather patterns as Greensboro—about 45 inches of rain annually and summers that turn vented crawl spaces into swamps. We know how to fix it because we’ve done it hundreds of times.
You’re not getting a sales pitch from someone who’s never been under a house. You’re working with a team that understands the difference between a quick fix and a system that actually works long-term.
First, we inspect your crawl space to identify moisture sources, existing damage, and ventilation issues. You get a clear assessment of what’s happening and what needs to happen to fix it.
Next, we handle any necessary crawl space cleaning and prep work. This means removing debris, old insulation, and anything that shouldn’t be there. If there’s standing water or drainage issues, we address those before sealing anything.
Then comes the vapor barrier installation. We use heavy-duty polyethylene sheeting—not the thin stuff that rips—and seal it across your crawl space floor and up the foundation walls. All seams get taped. All penetrations get sealed. We also close off vents permanently because vented crawl spaces in humid climates like ours create more problems than they solve.
Finally, we install a commercial-grade dehumidifier designed specifically for crawl spaces. This keeps humidity levels below 60% year-round, which prevents mold growth and protects your floor joists. We also add crawl space insulation to the walls if needed, which helps with energy efficiency.
Ready to get started?
Our crawl space encapsulation includes everything needed to control moisture permanently. That means vapor barrier installation across 100% of your crawl space floor and foundation walls, sealed vents, a properly sized dehumidifier, and insulation where it makes sense.
In Sedalia, NC, we see a lot of homes built on crawl spaces with dirt floors and open vents—the old-school approach that doesn’t work in our climate. When warm, humid air hits your cool crawl space in summer, condensation forms on everything. That’s why you get mold on floor joists, musty smells, and eventually structural issues.
We also handle related problems during the process. If you’ve got existing mold, we remediate it properly before sealing. If your ductwork runs through the crawl space and it’s leaking conditioned air, we’ll let you know. If drainage around your foundation is causing water intrusion, we identify it upfront so you’re not sealing in a moisture source.
Every job gets customized to your home’s specific conditions. A 1,200 square foot crawl space with minor moisture issues needs a different approach than an 800 square foot space with standing water and rotted joists. We assess, we explain, and we fix it right the first time.
Most crawl space encapsulation projects in the Sedalia area run between $3,500 and $8,000, depending on your crawl space size and current condition. The average cost works out to about $3 to $7 per square foot for a complete system.
If your crawl space just needs basic moisture control with vapor barrier installation and a dehumidifier, you’re looking at the lower end. If you’ve got standing water, significant mold growth, damaged insulation, or structural repairs needed first, costs go up because there’s more work involved.
We give you a detailed quote after inspecting your crawl space. No surprises, no upselling services you don’t need. You’ll know exactly what you’re paying for and why it matters for your home’s long-term health.
Most encapsulation jobs take 1 to 3 days from start to finish. Smaller crawl spaces with easy access and minimal prep work can be done in a day. Larger spaces or homes that need mold remediation, drainage work, or significant crawl space cleaning first will take longer.
The actual installation moves quickly once prep is done. Vapor barrier installation doesn’t take long—it’s the prep work that determines timeline. If we’re removing old insulation, treating mold, or waiting for areas to dry out after drainage fixes, that adds time.
We’ll give you a realistic timeline during your inspection. We don’t rush jobs to hit arbitrary deadlines. Your crawl space needs to be done right, and that’s what you’re paying for.
Yes, if the smell is caused by moisture, mold, or mildew—which it almost always is. Encapsulation eliminates the moisture source that creates those odors in the first place.
That musty smell you’re noticing upstairs is coming from your crawl space because up to 50% of your first-floor air originates down there. When your crawl space is damp, mold and mildew grow on floor joists, insulation, and anything organic. Those spores and odors rise into your living space through gaps, vents, and ductwork.
Once we seal your crawl space with a vapor barrier and install a dehumidifier to control humidity, the environment that creates those smells disappears. Most homeowners notice the smell is gone within a few weeks as existing moisture dries out and mold stops growing.
Yes. Vented crawl spaces made sense decades ago in dry climates, but they’re a problem in humid areas like Sedalia, NC. When you vent your crawl space here, you’re pumping warm, moisture-filled air into a cool space all summer long. That creates condensation, which leads to mold, wood rot, and all the issues you’re trying to avoid.
Building science has proven that sealed crawl spaces with controlled humidity perform better in climates like ours. You’ll use less energy, have better air quality, and avoid moisture damage. The old approach of venting crawl spaces doesn’t work when you’re dealing with North Carolina’s humidity levels.
We permanently seal your vents as part of encapsulation. This keeps outside air—and the moisture it carries—out of your crawl space. The dehumidifier handles any residual moisture, keeping humidity below the threshold where mold can grow.
You’ll usually notice signs upstairs before you ever look in your crawl space. Musty odors, cold floors in winter, high energy bills, or worsening allergies all point to crawl space moisture issues.
If you go down there and see condensation on pipes, damp insulation, mold on floor joists, standing water, or rust on metal components, you’ve got a moisture problem that needs fixing. Even if you don’t see obvious water, high humidity alone causes damage over time.
The other common trigger is a home inspection during a real estate transaction. Buyers and sellers both discover crawl space issues when an inspector flags moisture, mold, or structural concerns. If you’re in that situation, encapsulation protects your investment and keeps the sale moving forward.
Very little. You’ll want to check your dehumidifier a few times a year to make sure it’s running properly and empty the reservoir if it’s not plumbed to drain automatically. That takes five minutes.
Once or twice a year, take a quick look in your crawl space to confirm the vapor barrier is still intact and there’s no new water intrusion from plumbing leaks or drainage issues. If everything was installed correctly and your grading around the house is good, you shouldn’t see any problems.
The dehumidifier will need a filter change periodically depending on the model—usually once or twice a year. That’s about it. A properly encapsulated crawl space is a sealed system that takes care of itself. You’re not dealing with the constant moisture battles that come with vented crawl spaces.
Local Resources
Useful Links
Other Services we provide in Sedalia
