Patent ID: 6926469

Claim:
In an encapsulation system for preventing the penetration of water vapor and ground water into the crawlspace environment of a building, said crawlspace environment having a dirt floor surrounded by a substantially continuous peripheral foundation enclosing said crawlspace environment beneath the building, said system comprising a continuous sealed barrier layer covering the entire floor of the crawlspace to provide a barrier against the penetration of insects, groundwater and water vapor up through the floor and into the air space of the crawlspace, said barrier layer having vertical extensions which extend vertically up against the interior peripheral foundation to a height greater than the corresponding ground level at the exterior surface of the foundation and which are bonded to the interior peripheral foundation by a continuous seal adjacent the upper edges of said extensions to provide a continuous barrier against the penetration of exterior groundwater through said foundation and water vapor from said floor and into said crawlspace environment, the improvement which comprises at least one access opening in said liner providing access to the soil beneath the liner, each said opening comprising a flap, patch or cover which can be unsealed to expose said opening and can be resealed to restore the barrier properties of the barrier layer.