
Crawl Space Repair & Encapsulation
A damp crawl space is prone to leaks, pests, and mold. Protect it with crawl space repair and encapsulation from Tar Heel Basement Systems.
SCHEDULE YOUR FREE INSPECTIONCRAWL SPACE PROBLEM SIGNS
There could be more lurking under your home and in your crawl space than you realize.

Mold in Crawl Space
Crawl space mold is a common yet serious problem in North Carolina. Trust Tar Heel Basement Systems for preventative moisture management.

Pests in Your Crawl Space
Explore Tar Heel Basement Systems' efficient strategies for managing pests in your crawl space, providing a secure environment.

Crawl Space Moisture
Combat crawl space moisture effectively with Tar Heel Basement Systems, dedicated to providing lasting solutions in North Carolina.

Bouncy Floors
Learn the underlying issues of bouncy floors and why prompt action is crucial. Trust Tar Heel Basement Systems for a thorough inspection and lasting repair.
Here at Tar Heel Basement Systems, we have more than 20 years of experience with crawl space repair, crawl space founcation repair, and crawl space encapsulation using our proven solutions. Our durable and waterproof 20-mil thick vapor barriers, combined with our state-of-the-art sump pump systems and superior dehumidifiers ensure your crawl space stays dry and clean for years to come. Additionally, our crawl space support posts ensure lasting structural stability.
CAUSES OF CRAWL SPACE DAMAGE
The biggest culprit of crawl space issues has to do with the way your home was constructed.
As warm air rises in a home, it leaks out of the upper levels. New air must enter your home to replace the air that has escaped. In fact, in a tight home, about half of the air escapes each hour out of the upper levels. This creates suction at the lower levels to draw in replacement air. In older homes, the air exchange rate can be as high as two exchanges per hour.
What this stack effect does is create airflow in your home from bottom to top. So air from the crawl space is drawn upwards into the first floor living area and then into the second floor. Of course, it dilutes with other air in your home, but building scientists say that up to 50% of the air you breathe on the first floor is air that came from your crawl space.
Therefore, whatever is in your nasty crawl space air (mold spores and humidity) is in the living area of your home and can negatively affect your family. If there is mold or mildew in the crawl space, mold spores are floating around upstairs that your family is breathing in.
So this idea that we put in crawl space vents and expect that air will flow in through vents on one side of the house and out through the vents on the other side, does not happen. What actually happens is air enters the vents in the front, enters the vents in the back, and enters the vents on the sides of the home and then it goes UP!
As cold air enters your crawl space, the stack effect carries that cold air throughout your home. What does this mean for your home?
The stack effect also allows dust mites, mold growth, and nasty odors to travel through your home into the air you and your family breathe. It also will create cold floors and a cold environment within your home, which causes you to use your home’s heating system more heavily, causing high utility costs. To keep your home warm, and the air you and your family breathe clean, it is important to keep your crawl space healthy and dry.
Many factors cause a damp and cold crawl space, like open vents, condensation, and water vapors. Rumors have it that insulation to your floors or roof of your home’s crawl space will help keep your home warm during the colder months, and is partially true; however, insulation ignores the real problem of moisture in your crawl space and will only be ruined by the moisture.
Crawl space humidity has plagued homes in North Carolina since the first day they were built.
As the humidity levels rise in crawl spaces, moisture condenses on the surfaces, leading to serious problems in your home. These problems can lead to health issues and the need for expensive crawl space repair.
Most of the problems traditionally associated with damaged, rotting crawl spaces are due to basic flaws in the ways that crawl spaces were designed. When the frame of your home was first built, it was a large wooden box, with few, if any, holes in it.
Then came the other contractors. As plumbers, electricians, HVAC workers, and other professionals worked in your home, they began to cut channels in the walls and floors. Pipes, wires, cables, ducts, and other components were passed through, and your home’s construction was completed.
Then, over time, your home began to expand and contract. The once-tight seams began to warp slightly, and more crevices and openings appeared. There are a lot of openings that can develop between your first floor and your crawl space!
In your home, warm air rises, leaving through your attic and upper floors. As this happens, a vacuum is created on the lower floors. Air from the outside — and from your crawl space — is pulled upwards to fill the space.
If you have crawl space vents, they will also become part of the air movement in your home. As air is pulled out of the crawl space and up into the home, new air will be pulled in through these vents.
Here’s the key point: If the air outside is wet or humid, then your crawl space vents are bringing in moisture.
CRAWL SPACE REPAIR SOLUTIONS
We are here to help you along your journey of crawl space and whole-home health and safety.

Crawl Space Sump Pump
Uncover how Tar Heel Basement Systems' specialized crawl space sump pumps eliminate water issues, enhancing home health.

Crawl Space Dehumidifier
Achieve superior moisture control with the AquaStop™ Crawl Space Dehumidifier from Tar Heel Basement Systems.

Crawl Space Vapor Barrier
Discover top-tier crawl space moisture defense and encapsulation with Tar Heel Basement Systems' CrawlSeal™ Vapor Barrier.

Crawl Space Drainage
Protect your North Carolina home with Tar Heel Basement Systems' CrawlDrain™ system – a proven solution for crawl space drainage.
Why Crawl Space Repair and Encapsulation Are Important
The underside of your home may not seem important as it is a place that is rarely ever considered or visited, but this is not the case. Your crawl space is responsible for approximately 50% of the air that is in your home. This means that any mold or mildew, musty odors, or pest droppings in your crawl space are being circulated up through the air into the areas your family spends time together.
When it is exposed to the elements, your crawl space is susceptible to mold and mildew growth, excessive moisture from groundwater or floods, and unwanted pests. All these cause problems for your home’s structural integrity and indoor air quality. If visit your crawl space and notice pooling water or other damage, cleaning up any water is a good start, but encapsulating it is key. When you encapsulate your crawl space with a high-quality vapor barrier, you’re also improving your home’s energy efficiency and air quality.


Crawl Space Repair FAQs
The ideal humidity level for a crawl space is between 40 and 50%. Maintaining humidity within this range is crucial for preventing mold growth, wood rot, and poor air quality. To help achieve and maintain these optimal levels, we offer a range of solutions, including professional-grade dehumidifiers and comprehensive waterproofing systems. If you’re unsure about the humidity level in your crawl space or need help managing it, we encourage you to contact us for a free inspection.
We strongly discourage attempting to waterproof your crawl space without professional assistance. The complexity and potential hazards of the task require expert handling. Tar Heel Basement Systems offers specialized inspections and waterproofing solutions. Contact us for more information and to arrange a free inspection.
Costs vary depending on the extent of damage, crawl space size, and required repairs. During your free inspection, a Tar Heel Basement Systems expert will recommend custom solutions and give a precise cost estimate without any obligation. We also take your budget into account and offer various financing options.
Yes, in many cases, it’s possible to fix sagging floor crawl space with the right reinforcement, like our IntelliJack™ Crawl Space Jacks, without a complete floor overhaul. Our experts will provide a detailed evaluation during a free inspection and recommend the most effective sagging crawl space repair strategy.
Addressing a crawl space foundation involves replacing the existing support piers or installing crawl space jacks to elevate the floor. Additional repair methods may also be recommended. Contact a local crawl space professional to ensure the repair is executed correctly from the onset.
Reasons For Crawl Space Repair and Encapsulation
If your home is old or newly built, it is important to make sure that there is some degree of waterproofing measures in place to protect it. Here are some of the most common reasons why waterproofing solutions and encapsulation is vital to the health of your home.

Water Damage
If you bought your home with waterproofing measures in place and still notice signs of damage throughout your home, it may be time for an inspection. As these solutions are not always a “catch-all” for problems, they are still prone to damage as time goes on. Clogged or broken sump pumps, open crawl space vents, plumbing leaks, and foundation damage can cause your dry and clean crawl space to become damp, humid, and unhealthy. If any of these are the case, you will need to address the underlying damage before repairing or installing additional waterproofing measures.

Exposure
In some older homes, open crawl space vents may still be in place. If this is the case and no other waterproofing measures have been installed, it’s important to encapsulate and waterproof your crawl space to prevent future water damage. It’s essential for an expert to inspect the underside of your home for any signs of damage that require crawl space repair or crawl space foundation repair before encapsulation. If solutions are placed over the damage, these problems could worsen over time and cause further destruction to your home and its structural integrity.

Deterioration
As with most home repair products, there is a time that they become less effective due to their relative installation date and any outside damage they are exposed to. The deterioration process is natural, but it comes with dangerous effects as it progresses. Therefore, it’s important to have your home regularly inspected with routine maintenance in place to ensure it stays in good condition.
If you’re researching the benefits of crawl space encapsulation or want to upgrade your current waterproofing systems, it’s important to repair any damage beforehand. At Tar Heel Basement Systems, our specialists are well-trained in inspecting crawl spaces and advising homeowners on the best steps to protect their home.
Crawl Space Repair and Encapsulation Tips for Your Home: The Good and The Bad
The Good
- By encapsulating your crawl space, you’ll save money in the long run by improving energy efficiency. Your home’s heating and air conditioning systems can become overworked when dealing with an exposed crawl space. In the summertime when the weather is warm, your air conditioner will work harder to cool the air, and, in the winter, it’s the opposite. But when your crawl space isn’t encapsulated, these systems are constantly combatting the air temperature in your crawl space which, in turn, increases your energy bills.
- When your crawl space is encapsulated with a vapor barrier, drainage matting, a sump pump system, and sealed crawl space vents, it’s able to reduce the amount of water vapor in the area. When you combine all these systems with a dehumidifier, you can be sure that your crawl space is fully protected from the effects of water vapor and the air quality in your home is clean and free of toxins and mold spores.
- If you don’t have the time or money to encapsulate your crawl space but have open crawl space vents, it is imperative to seal them off to prevent more damage in the future. By sealing these vents, you ensure that any humid air in your crawl space doesn’t cause more mold and mildew issues. Sealed crawl space vents can also discourge unwanted pests from entering and making the underside of your home, theirs.
The Bad
- If you have a sump pump in place but no backup installed, you may still run the risk of damage from a flood. If the power goes out or the lines clog, a battery-powered backup ensures that any leftover water gets efficiently pumped out and away from your home. You’ll have restored peace of mind whenever a storm comes your way.
- Some homeowners believe that their crawl space only needs a few waterproofing measures in place to prevent damage. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Although encapsulation and waterproofing go together, a drainage system or sump pump are just a few of the components needed to ensure a water-free crawl space. Without also installing a high-quality vapor barrier on the walls and floors, your home’s mold and mildew problems and wood rot are sure to continue.
- Although you’re able to DIY many of your home’s repair projects, we recommend encapsulating your crawl space to not be one of them. As this is a complex process, missing any steps or failing to not address the root of the problem can cause even more damage in the future and more money for repairs. This also can lead to the current problems persisting and causing structural failure and the need for complete crawl space foundation repair.

Providing Expert Crawl Space Repair & Encapsulation in North Carolina
Pennsylvania trusts Tar Heel Basement Systems for reliable basement waterproofing, crawl space, foundation, and concrete repair services. Contact us for a free inspection!
Top Cities We Serve

Our Locations
3400 Walsh Pky, Suite 220
Fayetteville, NC 28311
611 Summit Ave, Suite 5
Greensboro, NC 27405
208 Millbrook Rd. Suite C
Raleigh, NC 27609
8005 Knightdale Blvd
Knightdale, NC 27545
2155 Enterprise Dr. NE
Leland, NC 28451
2910 Griffith Rd
Winston-Salem, NC 27103