If you’re a homeowner and you don’t know the answer to the question “What is Radon?” don’t worry you are not alone. Many Americans haven’t heard about this mysterious gas before, but it is something that all homeowners should be aware of. Radon gas is formed when naturally occurring uranium breaks down deep underground and slowly moves up toward the surface. It’s important to know if you have this gas in your home, because the Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. There are several tips that can help to keep radon out of your home if radon testing detects its presence, and this article will take a look at a few of those tips.
- Seal All Cracks in the Foundation: One tip for keeping radon out of your home is to seal all cracks in the foundation. Because this is a gas that moves up through the ground, it will search for any openings that allow it to continue moving. To prevent this from happening, a foundation contractor will need to be brought in to inspect your foundation and locate any cracks that might provide an opening. These cracks must be professionally sealed to keep the gas from getting in.
- Place a Vapor Barrier in the Crawl Space: Another tip for keeping radon out of your home is to place a vapor barrier in the crawl space. The crawl space can be another point of entry for this gas to get into the home because most of the time they have a bare earth floor. To keep radon gas out, a vapor barrier made of multiple layers of plastic, can be laid down to block out anything that might try to enter the house from this direction.
- Seal the Area Around a Sump Pump Installation: And finally, a third tip for keeping radon out of your home is to seal the area around a sump pump installation. This is another point that can provide entry for radon gas, because the pipe that connects a sump pump to a sewer also punches through the foundation. The gas can subsequently force its way in through the small gap between the foundation wall and the pipe. To prevent this from happening, the opening needs to be properly sealed to keep radon gas from getting in.
In conclusion, there are several tips you can follow to keep radon out of your home. These tips include: seal all cracks in the foundation, place a vapor barrier in the crawl space, and seal the area around a sump pump following sump pump excavation and installation. These are just a few of the tips you can follow to keep radon gas out of your home.
