Hoover · Jefferson and Shelby County
Crawl space encapsulation in Hoover, Alabama
Crawl space encapsulation means lining the dirt floor and the walls under your house, closing the vents and drying the air, so that damp ground and humid summer air stop reaching the wood. Call the number below to speak with an independent local waterproofing company that does this work in Hoover.
Tell them what you have noticed. They arrange a visit, look under the house and give you their own price in writing.
Call (205) 555-0115- For homeowners with a damp crawl space or a wet basement
- One local company, and no obligation to hire it
- Hoover, Vestavia Hills, Homewood, Pelham and nearby
The short version
What encapsulation changes under your house
A vented crawl space has bare soil, a few screened openings in the foundation wall and fiberglass batts pushed up between the floor joists. In an Alabama summer the outdoor air holds more moisture than the cool space under the floor can carry. It drifts in through the vents, touches cool ducts and joists and leaves its water on them.
Encapsulation reverses that. A heavy plastic liner covers the soil and runs up the walls. The vents and the access door are sealed. A dehumidifier keeps the closed space dry. Where rain actually runs in, a drain and a sump pump are fitted first, underneath the liner.
The encapsulation page goes through every layer with a drawing, says what the job disturbs and lists the questions to ask before you agree to anything.
Crawl spaces, basements and yards
What you can call about
Each of these has its own page. If you are not sure which one fits, start from what you are seeing, or read the overview of waterproofing work.
- Crawl space encapsulationA sealed liner over the soil and walls, closed vents and dry air. Each layer explained, with a drawing.Read this page →
- Crawl space repairStanding water, fallen insulation, damp joists and soft floors: what causes each and how it is put right.Read this page →
- Basement waterproofingA drain under the slab edge, a liner on the wall and a pump. How water is handled from the inside.Read this page →
- Exterior waterproofingDigging down to the footing, coating the wall and laying a drain. When the outside route is worth the digging.Read this page →
- Sump pump installationBasin, pump, check valve and a battery backup for the storm that takes the power out.Read this page →
- Basement leak repairOne crack, one pipe sleeve or one window well letting water in. Finding the spot and closing it.Read this page →
- Wet basementDamp, seepage or a real leak? How to tell them apart before anyone sells you a system.Read this page →
- Yard drainage and French drainsMoving rain away before it reaches the foundation: downspouts, grading, French drains and catch basins.Read this page →
- Crawl space dehumidifiersWhat a dehumidifier under the house can and cannot do, and what it needs to keep working.Read this page →
Four steps
What happens when you call
More detail, including what this site does and does not do, is on how it works.
You call and describe the problem
Say where the water or damp is, how long you have noticed it and whether it follows rain.
You speak with a local company
It is an independent waterproofing business that works in your part of the Hoover area, not a call center for this website.
They look at the house
Someone goes under the floor or into the basement, and around the outside, then explains what they found.
You decide
You get that company's proposal and price. You can accept it, compare it with others or do nothing.
Worth knowing if you live in Hoover
Hoover lies partly in Jefferson County and partly in Shelby County. For water problems that matters less than you might expect: building permits and flood zone questions go to the city's Inspection Services wherever you are. Where it does matter is the sewer, which is run by different bodies in different neighborhoods.
The city names Patton Creek and the Cahaba River among the streams that have flooded nearby ground, and it will tell you whether your lot is in a mapped flood zone. It also has a stormwater hotline for drainage problems that start in the street. The numbers, and the rule about calling 811 before anyone digs, are collected on flood zones and drainage rules in Hoover.
Around Hoover
Nearby towns
Homeowners across the suburbs south of Birmingham can call too, including those in Helena, Alabaster, Mountain Brook and Chelsea. Three towns have pages of their own, because their city halls handle drainage and flood questions differently. All of them are listed on the areas page.
Common questions
Who am I actually calling?
An independent waterproofing company that works in and around Hoover. Hoover Crawl Space is a referral service: it does not employ installers and does not carry out any work.
Does calling commit me to anything?
No. You are asking a company to look at a problem and tell you what it would do. Whether you hire it is your choice.
How do I know the company is properly licensed?
You check, and it takes a few minutes. The steps for Alabama and for the City of Hoover are in the guide to choosing a waterproofing company.
Do you cover basements as well as crawl spaces?
Yes. Many houses here have both, with a basement on the downhill side and a crawl space under the rest. Describe what you have when you call.