RADON...... the silent killer!

                                    RADON ABATEMENT IN YOUR HOME

In the 70’s when we started hearing about radon gas no one quite understood the problem as it has no smell and you cannot see it and the only way to detect radon is by testing.  Radon occurs naturally and is a radioactive gas that is known to cause cancer in high doses.  At that time, we would sandblast the concrete while dealing with the dust and aggregate cleanup and apply two coats of a 100% solids epoxy to form a vapor barrier which we hoped would stop the radon gas.

There is an abundance of information on the EPA’s website about testing for radon and now we have sophisticated systems to remove the contaminated air from your structure and can keep your radon level below the Environmental Protection Agency recommendation of 4.0 picocuries/liter of gas.

In existing homes holes can be cored in the concrete floor and fans draw the radon from beneath the slab and it is vented to the outdoors.  In other instances, a polyurethane vapor barrier is installed and a fan draws radon from beneath the vapor barrier in the crawlspace. There are ways to install a sump/drain-tile depressurization system and this why you should engage a highly qualified contractor to do this work.

Remember that if you place concrete directly on the vapor barrier it could cause slab cracking and curling as the moisture in the concrete cannot readily pass through the membrane and will exit the top rapidly causing the cracking problem.  You should consider placing a layer of damp compacted sand above the membrane before placing the concrete.  Using an architect, professional engineer and a skilled specialty contractor would more than likely be money well spent.