Before any contractor seals your crawlspace, you need to know what's under the liner. SBG performs forensic crawlspace mold inspections — so you're not sealing in a problem.
Crawlspace encapsulation contractors in the Atlanta area are selling a product. Most of them do not hold mold certifications and are not trained to identify microbial growth on structural surfaces. They visually inspect from the access door — or not at all — and install a liner over whatever is there.
A vapor barrier does not kill mold. It does not stop active growth on wood joists and subfloor sheathing. It creates an airtight sealed environment where contamination continues — and the stack effect delivers everything that environment produces directly into your living space. Between 40–60% of first-floor air in a home with a crawlspace originates there.
SBG has inspected properties where encapsulation was installed within the prior 24 months. In multiple cases the homeowner reported worsening symptoms after the work. The liner was intact. The system was working. The problem was what got sealed underneath it.
Full physical entry, moisture mapping, UV fluorescence scan of all structural surfaces. Documentation with photos and written findings.
If inspection reveals suspicious surfaces or elevated moisture, targeted air or surface sampling confirms presence, genus, and concentration. Creates the clearance baseline.
Certified IICRC S520 remediation of any confirmed growth before liner installation. Post-remediation clearance sampling confirms the work is complete.
Active moisture intrusion corrected — drainage, grading, plumbing, vent sealing — before the space is sealed.
With clean surfaces confirmed and sources corrected, the liner and dehumidification system go in. Now encapsulation is a long-term solution, not a concealment.
Yes — on any property over 12 months old, a pre-encapsulation mold inspection should be standard. Properties in the Southeast that have gone through summer humidity cycles without a conditioned crawlspace have had sufficient time and moisture exposure for microbial colonization to establish on structural wood surfaces. The cost of a mold inspection is a fraction of the liability exposure if contamination is sealed in.
No. A vapor barrier controls moisture vapor transmission from the soil. It does not kill mold, neutralize mycotoxins, or stop active biological growth on wood framing above the liner. If mold is present on joists or subfloor sheathing at the time of installation, the liner seals it in with no dilution pathway. The stack effect then pulls everything that environment produces upward into the living space.
SBG is a full-service mold remediation company. If the inspection confirms growth, we scope and perform the remediation under IICRC S520 protocols, conduct post-remediation clearance sampling, and then coordinate with your encapsulation contractor when surfaces are confirmed clean. You don't need a separate remediation company.
If there's no documentation of a pre-encapsulation mold inspection — or if you have any of the warning signs (musty odor, symptoms that improve away from home, dehumidifier running constantly, any water intrusion since installation) — yes. SBG can assess air quality inside the sealed space and compare to living area samples without removing the liner.
SBG performs pre-encapsulation crawlspace mold inspections throughout Cobb County and Greater Atlanta. Call before any contractor starts work.
Call (404) 268-0979 Schedule Online