Homes with crawlspaces with exposed soil floors have no barrier to prevent or even slow the entry of radon into the home. Although radon can enter even through a foundation, without one it is even easier for it to go through the floorboards into your living space. So what can be done about radon in a home with a crawlspace?

Radon In Crawlspaces

Removing radon from a home with a crawlspace has a few steps involved. First, of course is to test the home. Without specialized testing, you cannot detect radon in the home. Once you know that your home has high radon levels, it is time to look at radon mitigation. A radon expert should come and view your house to give you a bid if you have a crawlspace because these are a little more complex systems.

The best way to prevent radon entry is to seal them AND install a radon mitigation system. Unless a portion of the crawlspace is NOT accessible, these should be done together. Properly sealing the crawlspace can make a direct impact on lowering radon levels in your home. Plus it helps prevent energy loss so it’s a win-win.

Step One: Sealing The CrawlSpace

The first step is to seal the exposed soil in the crawlspace with an airtight membrane called a vapor barrier. Before this can be installed, EVERYTHING must be removed from the area. If the ground is a gravel surface or very rocky, we may install another layer of paper down before placing the membrane to prevent tearing. Then comes the vapor barrier, which we secure to the foundation walls and then sealed to create an air-tight barrier which blocks the radon gas entering your home.

Step two: Radon Mitigation System

Once the crawlspace is sealed we install a radon mitigation system directly to the soil under the vapor barrier. This creates a vacuum that constantly pulls the radon from the soil and vents it out above the roof of the house.

If your home has a crawlspace with concrete floors, all cracks and construction areas will be sealed and then a radon mitigation system installed by drilling a hole in the concrete to get to the soil underneath. The system then creates the vacuum under the concrete to vent the radon above the house. Your home may require multiple suction points to effectively pull the radon from the soil beneath the home.

The main thing is to realize that a radon expert must design a system that works for your home and will reduce the radon levels below the action levels recommended by the WHO and EPA. Contact the experts at Utah Radon Services to learn more and request a bid for radon mitigation in your home.