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 are also put into place to ensure that the radon gets properly vented out of your home or business.
As an added bonus, crawl space encapsulation has been known to reduce allergy issues by reducing mold and ventilating it from your home.
Crawl Spaces With Dirt or Gravel
In crawl spaces that have dirt or gravel floors, Protect Environmental can seal your crawl space with an airtight membrane called a vapor barrier. All stored items and debris must be removed from the ground prior to the installation of the crawl space membrane. If there are sharp objects or sharp gravel we can install a layer of tar paper over the floor before placing the membrane. This helps prevent the plastic from being ripped or torn when placing storage items back in the area. We secure the plastic membrane to the foundation walls or footings using wooden furring and concrete nails. Once the plastic is secured to the foundation walls, the entire perimeter is sealed including any seams, splices and penetrations to create an air-tight barrier to block the radon gas. The radon mitigation system is then tied directly to the soil under the membrane. The system creates a twenty-four hour vacuum that constantly pulls the radon out to vent above the roof of the house.
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 have a combination of crawl spaces, slab-on-grade areas, and basements. These homes are treated using a radon mitigation system with several different suction points. A primary suction point is usually installed through the basement slab with auxiliary suction points installed to depressurize these crawlspace and slab-on-grade areas.
Crawlspace membranes are not known as a stand-alone method to significantly reduce radon levels. These should be installed in conjunction with the radon mitigation system.
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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Professional radon testing is the first step to making your home a safe place to breathe.
