A crawl space is often the top culprit in allowing radon into our homes, it’s often left as exposed dirt, or sometimes lined with gravel, which don’t help to prevent radon from entering a house. High radon levels in your house can be significantly reduced with crawl space encapsulation. The key is to create a barrier that doesn’t allow the radon to enter the crawl space itself. Additional barriers and fans work together to push radon out of your home or business safely.
As an added bonus, crawl space encapsulation also helps reduce allergy issues because it lowers mold levels and improves ventilation in your home.
Crawl Spaces With Dirt or Gravel
In crawl spaces with dirt or gravel floors, Protect Environmental seals the area using an airtight membrane called a vapor barrier. You’ll need to remove all stored items and debris before installation. When the ground has sharp objects or rough gravel, the team lays down a layer of tar paper to keep the membrane from tearing. They secure the plastic membrane to the foundation walls or footings with wooden furring and concrete nails, and they seal every seam, splice, and penetration to form a fully air-tight barrier that blocks radon gas.
Once the vapor barrier is fully installed, the radon mitigation system is connected directly to the soil beneath the membrane. The system creates a continuous vacuum that pulls radon from the ground and vents it safely above the roof, keeping radon from entering the home.
A properly sealed crawl space will further reduce radon levels, create a safer storage area and prevent energy loss. Make sure the method of securing the plastic is strong enough to last through periodic crawl space entry such as: storing items, home repairs and utility workers. We care about the quality of your radon mitigation system and crawl space membrane no matter who installs it. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
Crawl Spaces With Concrete Floors
In crawl spaces that have concrete floors radon levels can be reduced by creating a vacuum in the soil under the concrete slab. Many concrete crawlspaces have a large amount of cracks. These cracks, along with the corner where the floor meets the foundation wall are sealed to create a more air tight barrier. The radon system is installed by drilling a hole through the concrete to access the soil underneath. The mitigation system creates a constant vacuum in the soil to vent the radon out above the roofline of the house.
Many homes include a mix of crawl spaces, slab-on-grade areas, and basements. In these cases, the radon mitigation system uses several suction points to treat each area effectively. The installer creates a primary suction point through the basement slab. They add auxiliary suction points for the crawl space and slab-on-grade areas. This setup pulls radon from every section of the home.
Crawlspace membranes alone don’t significantly reduce radon levels. They work best when installed alongside a radon mitigation system, which provides the suction needed to move the radon out of the home.
Contact Us for Crawl Encapsulation
Many homes and buildings across the U.S. have crawl spaces with radon gas problems. Radon makes its way into the crawlspace from the ground underneath. Crawl Spaces with exposed soil floors have no barrier to slow down or prevent radon entry. It can make its way through the floorboards into occupied areas like bedrooms, living rooms, and offices. The best way to prevent radon entry in crawl spaces is to seal them and install a radon mitigation system. Contact your local Protect Environmental professionals for your peace of mind protection against radon in your home’s crawl space.
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