Crawl space vapor barrier in Bakersfield, CA - a sealed ground cover under your house
Torn, loose or missing plastic under the house? We lay a sealed barrier that keeps ground moisture out of your crawl space.
What does a crawl space vapor barrier do for a Bakersfield house?
A crawl space vapor barrier is polyethylene plastic laid over the dirt under your house. In Bakersfield we install it so ground moisture and soil gases stay down there instead of getting pulled up through cracks in your floor and into the rooms you live in.
Most people call after they find torn, bunched-up plastic under the house, or none at all, or they notice cold floors and a musty smell and start wondering what's going on down there. The price mostly turns on how big the crawl space is and how much room there is to work, whether the old plastic gets patched or covered, how heavy the sheeting needs to be, and whether water or rot has to be fixed first, and the schedule turns on that same prep plus the permit question. If you're also thinking about crawl space insulation, it's worth looking at both on the same trip, and your estimate lays out what I found and what I'd do about it. Anyone altering a house in California needs a license from the state licensing board once labor and materials reach $500, and we're licensed and fully insured.
What happens after you call about your crawl space?
Call or send a request
You call (661) 377-0037 or fill out the form, and we set a time for me to come out. We pick up every day from 8 AM to 9 PM.
I go under the house
I do every estimate myself, so I'm the one crawling under there with a flashlight, checking the old plastic, the vents and anything that burns gas. You get what I found, what I'd do and a price for it before anything starts, and if a smaller job will do, I'll say so.
Prep, install, then my check
If you go ahead, we sort out the permit question and take care of prep and repairs before our installers lay and seal the barrier. I go back under and look it over before we call it done, and it's satisfaction guaranteed.
How we put in a crawl space vapor barrier
Standing water, mold or rot gets handled before any plastic goes down, because sheeting laid over a wet or rotting crawl space just hides the problem. Then our installers spread polyethylene over the dirt and usually lap it up the foundation walls and the piers, the posts that hold up your floor, and fasten it there so it can't slide back down. Where two sheets meet, we overlap them and seal the seam with caulk or tape made for polyethylene, since a loose seam lets moisture right back up. Plain sheeting tears where someone crawls through to reach a water heater or ductwork, so in those paths we'll talk about thicker, reinforced sheeting that holds up better.
The ground cover is one piece of keeping a house dry and comfortable. If moisture is a problem in other parts of the house, our vapor barrier installation work covers walls and other spots beyond the crawl space. And because a house tends to pull air up from below and push it out the top, attic air sealing closes the gaps up there that keep that draft going.
Get a look under your house and a price for the barrier
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out myself, the estimate is free and done at your home, and there's no obligation to go ahead.
Crawl space vapor barrier questions in Bakersfield
Does a vented crawl space need a vapor barrier?
Yes, the building guidance calls for a plastic ground cover whether the crawl space is vented or closed up, so either kind can plan on one. Vents move air through, but they don't stop moisture coming up out of the dirt underneath.
How do I know if my old crawl space vapor barrier can be repaired?
If the old plastic is mostly whole and just loose at the seams or pulled away from the walls, it can often be fixed by taping the tears and seams and running it up the walls. A new layer laid over it, sealed at the seams and fastened to the walls and piers, lasts better, so that's where I lean unless the old one is in decent shape. I'll tell you straight which one your crawl space needs.
Is it safe to just seal off my crawl space vents?
Not on its own. Sealing the vents without handling the rest of the crawl space can raise the moisture down there, and if a furnace or water heater that burns fuel and pulls its air naturally sits under the house, closing it up can become deadly. I spent years on heating and cooling calls, so I check anything that burns gas before we tighten a house up.
How much does a crawl space vapor barrier cost in Bakersfield?
Across the US, installing a crawl space vapor barrier usually costs about $1,200 to $4,000 per job. Where yours lands depends mostly on what I find under the house, which is why your price comes after I've been down there.
Do I need a permit for a crawl space vapor barrier in Bakersfield?
The city's own list doesn't settle it, so we check before we start. Bakersfield's Building Division issues permits for remodels and alterations, which carry a fee, and its list names things like water heaters and air conditioners, not vapor barriers. We check whether your address falls under the city or the county, and if the job needs a permit, we handle the paperwork and the inspection.
What causes moisture in a crawl space?
In a vented crawl space, most of it is liquid water getting in, usually from a yard that slopes toward the house, missing drainage around the foundation, or watering that soaks the ground by the walls. A barrier stops moisture rising out of the dirt, but it won't stop water running in, so if I see signs of that, I'll point you to the source first.
Other work that goes with a crawl space barrier
Vapor barrier installation
Good to look at if dampness is showing up in walls or other parts of the house, not just underneath it.
Attic air sealing
Worth doing when upstairs rooms feel drafty, since the gaps up top are where the house loses the air it pulls in from below.
Book a look under your house
When you call (661) 377-0037 or send the form, tell us whether your crawl space has vents, what shape any old plastic is in, and whether you've seen standing water or mold, so I show up knowing what to look for.