Sealing Basement Floor Cracks Radon
Keep in mind though that the acrylic and other soak in sealers marketed as radon mitigation systems are untested solutions.
Sealing basement floor cracks radon. As a general rule of thumb we caulk accessible areas where the floor and wall meet and cracks big enough to slide a credit card into. 1 sealing of cracks and the concrete still aids any fan based system and creates a more holistic solution. Anything wider than inch however should be sealed to keep moisture soil smells or even soil borne gases see section on radon gas below from seeping through the basement floor. The radon mitigation industry offers special foundation caulks and sealants for that purpose as well.
If water is coming up through a concrete floor or slab sealing cracks is probably not going to be enough you need to address the cause of water below the floor. Caulk has a limited life span especially in basements where constant moisture changes can be expected in cement foundations and floors. If i have a fan based radon system should i still seal my basement floor. Ideally if you are trying sealing alone to reduce your radon level we see the best results in unfinished basements.
This is not as you might think to keep radon and other earth gasses from entering the home following mitigation. Radonseal is a waterborne concrete sealer zero vocs no noxious fumes non toxic non flammable and non hazardous. Here are a few reasons for this. On oct 16 2010 radon gas is colorless odorless and tasteless but it can be detected by using a radon gas detector.
2 no amount of radon exposure is considered safe so adding the benefits of thick 100 solids epoxy. Safe spray on or roll on application apply radonseal to your basement concrete using an airless sprayer hand pump garden sprayer roller or brush. The following pictures are examples of common and some uncommon areas we seal. Diy crack repair kits repair and block water leaks through cracks in foundation walls and basement floors.
Radonseal concrete sealer permanently seals basement walls concrete blocks and floors against moisture. Epa protocol dictates that all basement floor cracks be caulked with polyurethane caulk when a house is being mitigated for radon. Sealing the basement floor can help but just sealing the cracks is unlikely to reduce your radon levels in the long term. You can stop radon gas from entering your home by sealing your basement floor with an effective sealer.
Do it yourself basement waterproofing methods and solutions. Sealing is not consider to be a good stand alone technique for radon abatement.