As experts with decades of experience as the premier experts in plastic sheeting for builders, we understand that builders and contractors are looking for the best crawl space vapor barrier option which optimizes their budget.
At Americover, we understand that various factors determine the price of your vapor barrier, including the specifications of the sheeting, and external factors, including supply chain and limited resources.
Contact our crawl space vapor barrier experts at 760-388-6294 today.
What is the Average Cost of a Crawl Space Vapor Barrier?
“Everyone knows time is money,” says Lisa Richards, Senior Account Manager at Americover Inc. “Higher quality materials often cost more because there is more effort put into ensuring a satisfactory product. A more satisfactory product means the vapor barrier must be replaced less frequently. This ultimately saves time and money.”
The cost of a vapor barrier varies based on various factors:
Specializations
The price of a vapor barrier is often more expensive than regular construction plastic because, unlike general-use plastic sheeting, a vapor barrier is rigorously tested to meet specific building and safety standards.
The plastic used as a vapor barrier must be specialized plastic and may not be substituted with regular plastic. This is because vapor barriers are created with specializations that are able to minimize vapor and moisture intrusion, preventing moisture build-up within the cavity of the structure.
Dimensions
How much a vapor barrier costs depends on how much your project requires, which may vary based on the dimensions you need to cover. A measurement or a blueprint of the square footage of the floor and walls can help you estimate how much plastic sheeting you will need.
Thickness
Plastic sheeting comes in a wide range of thicknesses from 6 mil to 100 mil. Generally, crawl space vapor barriers will range from 6 mil to 20 mil.
As a rule of thumb, the thicker the product is, the more expensive it will be. However, contact your vapor barrier experts to understand your options and pick the best product for your project, because the wrong thickness will need to be replaced sooner, which may cause you to pay double.
Related Article: How Long Do Crawl Space Vapor Barriers Last?
Fire Resistance
Vapor barriers may cost more if they must meet certain safety specifications, including fire resistance, retardation, and radon blocking.
Tear and Puncture Resistance
All vapor barriers sold by Americover have excellent puncture and tear resistance ratings. However, different environments, especially rocky applications, may require different specifications, and builders and contractors often need a top-tier product that has added strength.
Supply and Demand
Resin is a limited resource that is a crucial component of vapor barriers. According to Plastic Today, resin shortages began with the supply chain issues in 2022, and are likely to continue into Q2 and Q3 of 2023. Supply and demand issues may lower or raise the price of plastic sheeting, including vapor barriers.
How Does Cost Impact the Quality of the Product?
It is a common practice of many industrial sheeting companies to use regrind resin to cut costs. However, regrind has contaminants and debris embedded in it during manufacturing. It can break down quickly, even when it’s not exposed to direct sun.
As stated before, although plastic sheeting is a very versatile product with many uses, it is not interchangeable with a crawl space vapor barrier. Not all plastic sheeting manufacturing facilities are required to meet quality assurance standards.
Using a cheap alternative is the inferior solution, especially in applications where builders and contractors are expected to meet compliance standards. Americover is dedicated to keeping prices competitive, despite the many factors, including supply chain and material shortages, that affect the price to the end user.
What is the Best Crawl Space Vapor Barrier
Americover vapor barriers are some of the best in the industry because we offer a wide range of products, including string-reinforced sheeting, to meet your project’s crawl space encapsulation needs. Plastic sheeting is resilient, but lightweight. Some recommended Americover Vapor Barriers include:
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| 10 mil Pro Crawl Barrier | 10 mil Pro Crawl Anti-Mold Vapor Barrier with MPT™ | 12 mil White/Black Dura-Skrim® Reinforced Plastic Sheeting | 8 mil White/Black Dura-Skrim® Reinforced Plastic Sheeting |
Trusted by Growers, Builders, and Distributors
Americover is the smart source for plastic and polyethylene sheeting. Trusted by contractors and distributors across the construction and agriculture industries, our American-made products combine reliability with quality and innovation.
As an Americover customer, you will receive the personalized support of a dedicated account manager to simplify the ordering process and ensure the best solution for every one of your projects. Our friendly, knowledgeable staff is here to answer your questions and fulfill orders Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. If you would like to speak with a representative, call us at 760-388-6294 or go to our contact page and fill out a form to speak with a representative.” and here’s a link to the contact form.