Sealing Concrete Block Walls For Radon Gas

Water that enters through the pores can result to foundation seepage in the long run.

Sealing concrete block walls for radon gas.

A surface sealer is not a great choice as it would not comprehensively block out the gas. Block foundation walls will provide only a weak barrier against capillary water seepage and water vapor. Why cinder block walls leak. In our years of radon reduction experience we have seen people use epoxy paints waterproofing paints concrete sealers and other substances to seal radon out of buildings.

Radonseal works deep inside concrete walls floors and heavyweight concrete blocks to help strengthen and waterproofing the substrate permanently. Open sumps are huge entrance points for radon and moisture and sealing can prove to be worthwhile. Radon is known. Should i try radon sealing.

Radon rn 86 which is an inert noble gas is odorless tasteless and colorless. Commonly used for sealing poured concrete basement walls and floors concrete blocks garage slabs and outdoor concrete. The importance of waterproofing for concrete block. Cinder blocks are classified as permeable to water and water vapor 10 perms.

Concrete blocks that are not protected and treated can suffer from severe damage over a period of time. Heavyweight concrete blocks are semi permeable 5 perms and less so when the hollow cores are filled and packed with a slurry mix of concrete about 2 perms. Radon gas can sneaks into homes and basements through openings in the basement and crawlspaces cracks gaps open sump pits hollow core concret block walls and through the pores of concrete. Some tests show 4 8 perms for hollow concrete blocks and 2 4 perms when the blocks are filled with a slurry mix of concrete.

A cinder block is much more porous compared to a standard concrete block or poured concrete. Radon gas kills over 21 000 people in the united states every year. If you have a level close to 4pci l you may be able to reduce it a few pci l. As a chemically inactive gas radon can diffuse through concrete making sealing alone inconsistent at reducing radon levels.

The best choice for a concrete sealer is a silicate sealer. Second i try to explain my best understanding of epoxy coatings and other floor sealing systems with regards to their impact on radon transmission into a home. Block wall foundations can very difficult to seal properly especially if you have open cores along the top course. So let s start with a description of radon and move onto some questions and answers.

Radonseal is a water based sealer that dries clear leaves no color or film on the surface that can peel off or wear away and cannot be pushed out regardless of hydrostatic water pressure. Concrete blocks commonly begin to show signs of dampness or worse leak water soon after exterior waterproofing.