Is a vapor barrier better than crawl space encapsulation?

It’s easy to confuse the installation of a vapor barrier with crawl space encapsulation. 

Fully encapsulating a crawl space involves several solutions including drains, sump pumps, dehumidifiers, insulation, and vent covers along with a vapor barrier. While the vapor barrier is the heart of the encapsulation system, it is only one part of it. 

Each encapsulation solution is crucial and provides its own benefits, but they are stronger when working together to keep the crawl space dry, safe, and healthy.