For most crawl space solutions, labor is the biggest cost. The process of cleaning out, leveling the ground, and installing the liner takes lots of time. That’s why the last thing you want to do is put in all that effort and then install a liner that won’t stand the test of time. In fact, when shown the difference most homeowners will opt for a better liner with a warranty.
While many crawl spaces have been lined with standard poly film over the years, the bad part is that these products are made with recycled plastics and begin to degrade fairly rapidly. An often-cited example of this is how a milk bottle degrades over time, but a clear plastic bottle made from virgin material seems to last for centuries. Some of these common films have experienced degradation in as little as three years.
As an example of durability, standard 6 mil poly has a puncture resistance of 260 grams versus 6.5 mil Viper Liner which has a puncture resistance of 8,825 grams (roughly 34 times as much!) as tested in accordance with ASTM 1709. This is why the Viper Liner comes with a 25-year warranty as opposed to poly which doesn’t offer one. Demonstrating this to a customer is the only way to go. Let’s say the cost of using a great liner is $200.00 more. Once your customer sees, feels, and tests the difference, they want the good one. Check out our video on that here.
Once you decide to offer an upgraded product as an option to poly, then you need to know the difference in liners. At IDI, we certainly discovered that not all liners or companies making liners are the same. Viper CS is a woven product as opposed to a laminated or string reinforced liner. These woven liners are not only lighter and easier to work with, but Viper CS is even approved for blocking soil gasses such as radon. They have not presented any warranty issues as opposed to some of the others we have seen.
Offering upgraded liners is more than just a customer service, it makes more money. In fact, the right liner can set you apart. For example, 6 mil poly cannot withstand the traffic of other trades or even the homeowner in fear of punctures or damage, but Viper liners will stay in place and not rip when walked on. This allows you to not only provide better air quality in the home, but also provide new useable space for the homeowner. At the end of the day, 6 mil poly really doesn’t offer the same value to the homeowner as a Viper CS Liner. Be sure to check out this month’s product feature on Viper Crawl Space Vapor Barriers. For more information on crawl space products or any of the products we carry, reach out to your local branch or any of us at IDI where we look forward to earning your business every day.