--- title: Crawl Space Cleanout, Vapor Barrier and Insulation | House Tite, Ohio url: https://housetite.com/crawl-space-insulation/ description: Cold floors over a crawl space? We clean it out, lay a new vapor barrier taped around every post, and insulate the walls or floor. Central and Southeast Ohio. Call or text 740-590-5352. updated: 2026-11-06 --- *Home > Services > Crawl spaces: cleanout, vapor barrier, insulation* Crawl space cleanout, vapor barrier and insulation # Crawl spaces: cleanout, vapor barrier, insulation The old plastic, fallen insulation and debris come out. A new vapor barrier goes down, taped tight around every post. Then the walls or the floor above get insulated. It is the fix for a cold floor over a crawl space. Get a price Call 740-590-5352 Or text a photo to [740-590-5352](sms:+17405905352). ![A crawl space with a new white vapor barrier laid tight around a post](https://housetite.com/photos/web/crawl_vb_after_post_duct.jpg) *After: new vapor barrier, sealed around the post.* ## What crawl space work covers 1. **Cleanout.** Torn plastic, fallen batts, wood scraps and debris come out and get hauled away. 2. **Vapor barrier.** New plastic over the ground, seams overlapped and taped, sealed around every post and pier. 3. **Insulation.** Fiberglass or rock wool batts or foam on the walls or under the floor above. 4. **Rim joists.** Often sealed at the same time. [Rim joists.](https://housetite.com/rim-joist-insulation/) What it does not cover: we do not do structural or foundation repair, mold remediation, waterproofing, drainage or sump pumps. If we find a problem like that, we tell you before any work starts. ## What the code says about crawl space ground covers For an unvented crawl space, Ohio's residential code (Section 408.3, effective March 1, 2024) calls for exposed earth to be covered with “a continuous Class I vapor retarder”, joints overlapped 6 inches and sealed or taped, and edges run at least 6 inches up the stem wall and sealed [1]. The Department of Energy says a plastic ground cover “should be installed regardless of whether the crawlspace is vented or unvented” [2]. ### Get a price Text a photo from the crawl space hatch. We come out, look underneath and give you one written price. Get a price Call 740-590-5352 ### Straight answers - [Crawl space vapor barrier](https://housetite.com/insulation-questions/crawl-space-vapor-barrier/) - [Cold room over the garage](https://housetite.com/insulation-questions/cold-room-over-garage/) - [Do I need more insulation?](https://housetite.com/insulation-questions/do-i-need-more-insulation/) What we find down there ## The crawl spaces people call us about Batts that fell to the dirt years ago. Torn plastic. Debris. If your floors are cold, there is a good chance it looks like this under your house. ![Pink fiberglass batts fallen onto the gravel under a floor](https://housetite.com/photos/web/crawl_found_fallen_batts_2.jpg) ![Batts sagging out of the joists behind black plastic](https://housetite.com/photos/web/crawl_found_sagging_batts.jpg) ![Wood scraps, a torn tarp and loose insulation on a crawl space floor](https://housetite.com/photos/web/crawl_found_debris_tarp.jpg) ![Kraft faced batts hanging down and lying on wet ground](https://housetite.com/photos/web/crawl_found_fallen_batts_1.jpg) ![Bare dirt floor with a block pier and insulation wrapped in plastic overhead](https://housetite.com/photos/web/crawl_found_dirt_wrapped.jpg) Before and after ## What we leave behind ![A crawl space floor covered in torn, dirty old plastic](https://housetite.com/photos/web/crawl_vb_before_post_duct.jpg) ***Before*** ![The same crawl space with a new white vapor barrier](https://housetite.com/photos/web/crawl_vb_after_post_duct.jpg) ***After*** ![A finished crawl space with white vapor barrier wrapped around steel jack posts](https://housetite.com/photos/web/crawl_vb_after_jackposts2.jpg) *Wrapped and taped around the jack posts.* ![A finished crawl space, new vapor barrier under the plumbing](https://housetite.com/photos/web/crawl_vb_after_pipes.jpg) *Under the plumbing, edge to edge.* ![Close view of a new vapor barrier lapped up a crawl space wall](https://housetite.com/photos/web/crawl_vb_after_close.jpg) *Lapped up the wall.* > “The rooms above the crawl space were consistently 10 degrees cooler in the winter than the rest of the house. This has dropped that variation by 50-60%.” > > Coreland · crawl space and rim joists · Google review > “If you own a leaky, 100-year old house like ours, you’ll know how difficult it is to insulate all the parts that let in freezing cold draughts… Our house is now more comfortable from top to bottom.” > > David · crawl spaces, rim joists and sills · Google review Questions about this job ### Why are my floors cold? Over a crawl space, it is usually because the insulation under the floor has fallen down or was never there, and cold air moves freely under the house. That is the job: clean it out, put down a new vapor barrier, and insulate. ### Do you insulate the floor or the crawl space walls? It depends on the crawl space. The walls or the floor above get insulated with fiberglass or rock wool batts or foam. We tell you which and why when we look at it. ### What does a vapor barrier do? It covers the dirt so ground moisture does not rise into the crawl space. For an unvented crawl space, Ohio's residential code (Section 408.3, effective March 1, 2024) calls for exposed earth to be covered with “a continuous Class I vapor retarder”, joints overlapped 6 inches and sealed or taped, and edges run at least 6 inches up the stem wall and sealed [1]. The Department of Energy says a plastic ground cover “should be installed regardless of whether the crawlspace is vented or unvented” [2]. Get a price ## Tell us about the job A few details and a photo or two is all it takes. We call you back to set up a time to come out, measure, and give you one written price for the whole job. Call 740-590-5352 Text a photo 740-590-5352 Email sprayfoam@housetite.com Hours Monday to Friday, 8 to 5. Weekends by appointment. ## Sources 1. Ohio Board of Building Standards. [Residential Code of Ohio, Chapter 4 Foundations (rule 4101:8-4-01, effective March 1, 2024), Section 408.3](https://codes.ohio.gov/assets/laws/administrative-code/rules/4101/8/4101$8-4-01_eff_3_1_24.pdf). 2. U.S. Department of Energy, Building America Solution Center. [Capillary Break at Crawlspace Floors: Polyethylene Lapped Up Walls and Piers](https://basc.pnnl.gov/resource-guides/capillary-break-crawlspace-floors-polyethylene-lapped-walls-and-piers-or-secured). --- **House Tite** · insulation contractor · Nelsonville, Ohio · call or text 740-590-5352 · sprayfoam@housetite.com · Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM Eastern. Weekends by appointment. Get a price: https://housetite.com/quote/ (or text a photo of the attic or crawl space to 740-590-5352).