Crawl space encapsulation turns a damp, vented crawl space into a sealed, dry one. Cobb Crawlspace Repair encapsulates crawl spaces across Anderson, Greenville and the Upstate of South Carolina. Most full encapsulations take 4–5 days and are backed by a 10-year (Silver) or 30-year (Gold and Sapphire) warranty.
Why Upstate crawl spaces need it
Most older Upstate homes were built with open foundation vents. The idea was to let the crawl space breathe. In our climate it does the opposite: from late spring through early fall the outside air is warm and loaded with moisture, and every vent pulls that air under your house, where it cools and condenses on the joists, ductwork and subfloor.
Add the red clay soil most of the Upstate sits on, which holds water after every storm, and you get a crawl space that regularly runs above 70% relative humidity. Mold starts to grow once humidity stays above about 60%. That is where the musty smell, sagging insulation, cupped floors and high power bills come from.
What our encapsulation includes
Every job follows the same six steps:
- Free inspection. A technician goes under the house, takes moisture readings and photographs what they find. You see everything before you decide.
- Clean out and prep. Old, wet insulation and debris come out. Mold on the framing is treated before anything gets covered.
- Seal it off. Foundation vents and gaps are sealed with foam board so humid outside air stops pouring in.
- Line the floor and walls. A reinforced white liner (16 or 20 mil) covers the dirt, runs up the foundation walls and wraps every pier. Seams are taped.
- Dry it out. A dehumidifier sized to your crawl space (70, 100 or 130 pints a day) pulls the air down to a healthy range and holds it there.
- Quality check. We take final readings and walk you through the before and after.
Silver, Gold and Sapphire packages
| Package | Liner | What's included | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver | 16 mil | Sealed vents, dehumidifier, sealed walls, wrapped piers | 10 years |
| Gold | 20 mil | Everything in Silver, plus insulation removal, insulated walls and felt underlayment | 30 years |
| Sapphire | 20 mil | Everything in Gold, plus mold and fungi remediation, French drain with sump pump, Wi-Fi monitoring, 5 years of maintenance and soil gas mitigation | 30 years |
Not sure which you need? Your inspection tells you. You can also build your crawl space in 3D and see an itemized range for each package, or read our encapsulation cost guide.
Benefits homeowners notice
- No more musty smell. Air from the crawl space rises into your living space, so a dry crawl space means fresher air upstairs.
- Firmer floors. Dry joists and subfloor stop softening and cupping.
- Lower energy bills. Dry air is easier to heat and cool, so many homeowners see their HVAC run less. Results vary by home.
- Fewer pests. Sealed vents and a lined floor keep out the moisture that termites, roaches and rodents look for.
- A stronger home sale. Buyers and inspectors see a clean, white, documented crawl space.
Encapsulation vs. a vapor barrier
A vapor barrier is one part of encapsulation: plastic on the floor. Encapsulation also seals the vents and walls and controls the air with a dehumidifier. If you only need a liner, see our vapor barrier page, or read encapsulation vs. vapor barrier.
Where we work
We serve homeowners within about an hour of our Anderson shop, including Anderson, Greenville, Clemson, Easley, Seneca, Pickens, Powdersville, Greenwood and nearby towns in South Carolina and Northeast Georgia.