Radon is a known problem and families who have elevated radon levels naturally want to alleviate the threat. If you have basement cracks, will getting them fixed help solve the problem? The CrackDaddy explains.
Narrator: It’s time once again for the “Crack Man Podcast” hosted by A1 Foundation Crack Repair. I’m Darren Kincaid here with the Crack Daddy himself, Adam Tracy. Adam and The Crack Man Rich have over 30 years’ experience in the construction industry. Rich as over 25 years as the president and founder of A1 Foundation Crack Repair. This podcast provides expert basement waterproofing, concrete repair, and preventative maintenance tips for homeowners and businesses. A1 Foundation’s valuable insight will help avert a disastrous flood within the basement, health problems associated with water infiltration, and protect your biggest investment….your home. The topic of today’s podcast: Can fixing my concrete basement cracks help reduce my elevated radon problem?
Narrator: So, Adam right on is a known problem, and families who have elevated radon levels naturally want to alleviate the threat. If you have basement cracks, will getting them fixed help solve the problem?
Adam: Yeah, radon is a big issue, especially here in New England. Radon gases are the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, right behind smoking, of course. And what happens is that, where it comes from, where is radon gas originating from, it's from typically bedrock, bedrock sources. And in New England, our bedrock is primarily granite based and there are deposits of uranium there, and that breakdown of uranium produces the radon gases.
And because our soil or topsoil isn’t very deep considering places like the Midwest and then the Grain Belt there. Radon has a very short path from the bedrock up through the basement. And because it’s a hazardous gas, it’s odorless and colorless, we don’t necessarily know it’s there. So, obviously radon testing is part of a home sale, generally, required when you’re doing home inspections, and the sales.
You would generally know if you have an elevated radon level when you buy a home, or you may just buy a test kit and check it to see if it’s something that you’re concerned about. Now, fixing cracks alone may not be the ultimate solution, but it’s part of the solution. Because radon is a gas, it will find all void spaces to enter in the foundation. So, typical locations would be through cracks in the floor and cracks in the wall. Because it’s a very small molecule, if you will, it’s going to be much smaller than water. These cracks that you have in the walls and the floors, they may not get water but they could allow radon gases to come in.
The first step for mitigating a high radon issue in your house isn’t necessarily just to seal the cracks, typically, you’re going to be installing a radon mitigation system which would be a fan that gets placed on a location under the floor to pull these gases from under the floor. But one way to make these systems work more efficiently and more powerfully is to make sure that there’s no cracks around the floor and also through the walls. If you think about the way, if you were to drink a drink with a straw, it’s a lot more efficient to drink it when there’s no hole on the side of the straw because the straw will allow full suction up through. It’s the same idea with these radon systems. If you’re able to seal a lot of the foundation, it pulls this radon gas more efficiently out from underneath the foundation and safely outside where you’re not worried about causing issues with your family. So, as a part of the strategy, you should always consider if you do have high radon level and making sure that all foundation cracks are properly sealed against any sort of gas or water infiltration. A fan is great, that’s the primary mover. But to make the system work even better, if you want to make sure that all sources of entry of radon gases are sealed off, definitely consult the foundation expert to help you come up with a plan to seal your radon issues.
Narrator: Thank Adam, for explaining how fixing basement cracks can help reduce elevated radon levels.
Narrator: If you have a basement water problem and think you need a professional, or, if you’d like more information on foundation crack repair and basement waterproofing topics, please visit A1FoundationCrackRepair.com or call Rich at (866) 929-3171. Or you can email Rich at info@a1foundationcrackrepair.com. Thanks for listening and keep that basement dry.