Hoffman Estates Insulation ServicesHoffman Estates Insulation Services(847) 380-5407
Hoffman Estates Insulation Services
(847) 380-5407Get an estimate

Vapor Barrier Installation in Hoffman Estates IL - a drier, cleaner crawl space

Damp, musty crawl space or bare dirt under the house? We sort out the water first, then lay a cover that keeps ground moisture out.

Get an estimate(847) 380-5407
White vapor barrier covers the floor and support piers in a crawl space beneath exposed joists and large ducts.

Does your crawl space need a vapor barrier?

Vapor barrier installation in Hoffman Estates means laying a plastic ground cover over your crawl space floor and running it up the walls, columns and footings, so the dampness rising off the dirt stays out of the space under your house and soil gases have a harder time getting in.

Most calls start with a musty smell, cold floors over the crawl space or a look down the hatch at bare dirt and old plastic pushed into a corner. A vapor barrier deals with the moisture coming off that dirt, and if the floors are still cold once it's dry, crawl space insulation is usually the next conversation.

The price mostly follows the size of the crawl space, how much wall and column the sheet has to cover, how thick a sheet you pick and whether the space stays vented or gets sealed shut. The schedule usually turns on water and clutter, since any wet spots get sorted out first and stored boxes have to come out before plastic goes down. Once I've been under your house, the estimate tells you what I found, what I'd do first and what it costs.

  • Any path to the furnace or water heater gets a tougher runner laid over the sheet.
  • In a sealed crawl space, seams and pipe openings get a sealant that suits the plastic.
  • The cover goes down without changing the way water already drains across the crawl space floor.

What happens when you call about a vapor barrier in Hoffman Estates?

Here's how a vapor barrier job goes with us, from the first call to the last look under the house. I come out to most jobs myself, and our installers do the work.

  1. Call or send the form

    You call (847) 380-5407 or send the form, and we get back to you to set a time for me to come out. We take calls seven days a week, evenings included, so it's easy to find a time that works.

  2. I come look underneath

    I go down in the crawl space, ask what you've noticed and check where water is getting in before we talk about plastic. You get a walkthrough of what I found, what I'd do first and a price for it before anything starts.

  3. Our installers do the work

    If you go ahead, our installers take care of any water fixes we agreed on first, then lay the sheet and fasten it where it needs to hold. They work in the order we talked about, so nothing gets covered before it's ready.

  4. We walk the finished job

    I go over the finished crawl space with you, showing how the sheet runs up the walls and where the walkway to the furnace sits. Ask me anything about it then, while we're both looking at it.

How we handle vapor barrier installation

I start with water, because a vapor barrier handles the dampness rising off the dirt, not water running in from outside. In a vented crawl space most of the wet usually comes from a yard that slopes toward the house, no drainage around the foundation or sprinklers soaking the wall, so I look at all of that before we talk about which sheet to use, and I'll tell you if something outside needs fixing first. Once the water's handled and the space is cleared, our crew lays the plastic, overlaps the seams, carries it up onto the walls and around the columns, and fastens it so it stays put for years instead of sagging back to the floor.

Air moves up through a house the way smoke goes up a chimney, so warm air leaking out the top pulls damp crawl space air in at the bottom, and attic air sealing is the other half of stopping that. If your house is older and the floors or walls are thin on insulation, retrofit insulation adds it to the house you already have, and I'd plan it once the crawl space is dry.

  • Ground cover in a vented crawl space

    This suits a crawl space with working vents that stays fairly dry once the water outside is handled. It's the smaller job, and for a lot of houses a well-laid cover is all I'd recommend.

  • Sealing the whole crawl space

    Sealing it, usually called encapsulation, closes the vents and seals the plastic tight, and it suits crawl spaces where the furnace or ductwork lives, because that air ends up in your rooms. It costs more, and that's where I lean when the ducts are down there.

What crawl space vapor barrier work looks like

These photos show the kind of work involved, from bare dirt crawl spaces to plastic lapped up walls and around columns. They're examples of the trade, so you'll know what to look for when you open your own hatch.

  • Commercial spray foam insulation coats the walls and roof of a large timber-framed building, with lumber stacked on the concrete floor.

  • Close-up of thick cream-colored spray foam filling the spaces between wooden attic rafters.

  • Loose-fill insulation covers an attic floor, with a yellow depth marker protruding from the material.

  • A worker in protective coveralls and a respirator sprays foam insulation onto an attic surface.

  • A worker in protective gear uses a wide hose to remove loose-fill insulation from an attic.

  • Crawl space floor covered with a white vapor barrier, with brick piers and shiny ductwork overhead.

Get a straight answer about your crawl space

Tell us your crawl space's rough size, whether it has vents and any water you've seen, and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. The estimate is free, done on site, with no obligation.

(847) 380-5407

Questions homeowners ask about crawl space vapor barriers

These are the questions I hear most from Hoffman Estates homeowners looking into a vapor barrier. If yours isn't here, ask me when I'm under your house.

Do I need a vapor barrier if my crawl space has vents?

Yes, the plastic ground cover belongs on the floor whether your crawl space is vented or sealed. Vents move air around, but the dirt keeps giving off moisture, so plan on full coverage either way.

What is the best thickness for a crawl space vapor barrier?

Federal weatherization guidance calls for a ground cover at least 6 mil thick, a mil being a thousandth of an inch, and one cost guide calls 12-mil reinforced sheet the standard for sealing a crawl space because it resists punctures. When you compare quotes, ask which thickness each one includes, and I'll tell you which I'd use in yours and why.

How long does a crawl space vapor barrier last?

One cost guide puts 12-mil reinforced sheet at about 15 to 20 years. That's worth setting against the lower price of a thinner sheet, especially if someone will be crawling over it to reach the furnace or pipes.

How much does crawl space encapsulation cost in Illinois?

Crawl space encapsulation in Illinois usually costs about $5,500 to $10,000 per home, and that's for sealing the whole crawl space, not just laying plastic. A plain ground cover in a vented crawl space is a smaller job, and the size of the space, the sheet you pick and any water work outside move your own number, which you'll get from the estimate.

Does a crawl space vapor barrier help with radon in Hoffman Estates?

It helps keep soil gases out of the house, but testing for radon and fixing it is separate work from ours. Illinois health officials report higher radon levels in the soil in northern Illinois, and radon can come in through a crawl space, so if it's on your mind I'll point you to a radon pro licensed through IEMA-OHS, the state agency that licenses people who test for and reduce radon.

How do I get my crawl space ready for a vapor barrier?

Clear out stored boxes, old lumber and other debris so the cover can reach the whole floor. If something's too heavy or too far back to pull out, tell me at the estimate and we'll plan around it.

Vapor barrier installation in Hoffman Estates and nearby cities

The Village of Hoffman Estates issues permits and requires contractors to register, so we check with the village on each job and handle any permit it calls for. We're licensed and insured and work in nearby cities like Schaumburg and Palatine.

Other work that pairs with a crawl space barrier

(847) 380-5407Get an estimate