Crawl Space Repair in Shreveport
Under every pier-and-beam home in Highland, Cedar Grove, and old Bossier City is a crawl space doing one job: keeping the wood that holds your floor dry. In Northwest Louisiana’s humidity, with red clay holding water against the foundation, most aren’t. Here’s what that costs you — and how we fix it.
What a Bad Crawl Space Does to Your House
The crawl space is connected to the rest of your house by physics. Warm, humid outdoor air flows in through foundation vents in summer; when it hits cooler surfaces under the house, moisture condenses on floor framing, insulation, and ductwork. In winter, the stack effect pulls musty crawl space air up through floor gaps into your living space. The consequences show up slowly, then all at once:
- Rotted sill plates and beams — the structural members your floor rests on soften, and floors begin to sag between piers.
- Termite and mold pressure — damp wood is exactly what Formosan and native termites are hunting across Caddo Parish; mold follows the same moisture.
- Bouncy, uneven floors — wood loses stiffness as it takes on moisture; even sound framing flexes more in a wet crawl space.
- Higher energy bills — wet insulation underperforms, and ducts running through a 90°F crawl space in August lose their cool before they reach your vents.
- Air quality — musty smell that “just is what it is” in older Shreveport homes is usually a crawl space signature.
The February 2021 freeze made a lot of this worse overnight: burst pipes soaked crawl spaces that then took months to dry in cool weather, and we saw rot advance years in one season.
What We Install
Vapor Barriers
The baseline fix: heavy 10–20 mil polyethylene over 100% of the crawl floor, sealed at seams and wrapped around piers. Bare ground under a house in this climate releases gallons of moisture per day in summer; a barrier stops the source. Most homes feel the difference within weeks — less musty smell, drier floors.
Full Encapsulation
Vapor barrier plus sealed vents, insulated rim band, and conditioned air (a small dedicated dehumidifier or supply-air tie-in). Encapsulation turns the crawl space from a dirt-floored outdoor closet into a dry, semi-conditioned zone. It’s the right call for crawl spaces with ductwork, plumbing lines you want protected from freeze, or recurring moisture.
Support Jacks and Beam Work
Where floors sag, adjustable steel jacks supplement or replace failing piers, and new beams spread loads properly. Often done with pier-and-beam releveling as one project.
Interior Drainage
Where water actually enters — through foundation walls at grade, from plumbing leaks, or from a high water table in low-lying lots — we add perimeter drains inside the crawl space to a sump and discharge line. Encapsulating over an active water entry problem just traps the water; drainage comes first.
Barrier or Full Encapsulation?
| Factor | Vapor Barrier | Full Encapsulation |
|---|---|---|
| Moisture source | Ground evaporation only | Ground + humid air infiltration |
| Ductwork in crawl space | Sometimes enough | Recommended |
| Musty smell in living space | Improves | Usually eliminates |
| Energy impact | Modest | Noticeable — ducts stay cooler |
| Cost (typical Shreveport crawl space) | $1,200–$2,500 | $4,000–$9,000 |
Signs Your Crawl Space Needs Work
- Musty or earthy smell indoors, worst in humid weather
- Floors that bounce or sag, especially over the crawl space
- Visible standing water, damp soil, or efflorescence on foundation walls
- Insulation hanging down, wet or fallen
- Termite evidence or old treatment histories (damp wood attracts them)
- High indoor humidity the AC can’t seem to beat