Ever since the Environmental Protection Agency has declared radon as a human lung carcinogen, all of us have been looking for ways to save ourselves from this deadly disease. The best way to ensure that we are safe is to make certain that we are not exposed to radon.
But the problem arises when you come to know that you cannot detect the presence of radon as it is odorless, tasteless, and has no color. The only way to know about its existence is by doing a radon test, and the other way is to stop it from entering our homes in the first place.
However, with many speculations around, most of us are trying to find out does concrete sealer stops radon or is it just another ineffective method.
In order to stop radon, you need first to understand how it builds up into your home, and only then will you be able to prevent it in an effective manner and determine whether concrete sealer stops radon or not.
Where does radon come from, and how does it build up?
Radon is a noble radioactive gas, and you know its nature that it is odorless, colorless, and tasteless. Therefore, you cannot recognize its presence without proper testing. It mainly erupts from the uranium material present in the soil. Any house, building, apartment, or place can get radon, and testing is the only way to determine its level.
As it is a form of gas and is invisible, it travels up in the air from the soil. It enters your home by sealing cracks, drains, and holes. If your house is not adequately ventilated or does not have a mitigation system installed, the gas will build up and will elevate the radon level, eventually causing you lung cancer.
Considering the hazards of exposure to radon, we cannot simply ignore it. The effects of it have led the United States Environmental Protection Agency to initiate The National Action Plan in order to mitigate radon at the earliest from places with high radon levels.
Given that, we have been trying different methods, techniques, and solutions to stop radon in any way from entering any building. Concrete sealer seems to be a popular method these days, but we have to see whether it serves the purpose or not.
Can concrete sealer stop radon?
Keep in mind that radon is a gas, and thus it is going to be very difficult to stop it. Let alone the concrete sealer, no other type of sealer can stop radon from passing through; however, they can only minimize the flow of the gas. You cannot control the movement of gas particles through concrete sealer or with any other type of concrete surface.
Concrete floors are prone to cracking; even if you put several inches of concrete, it will not help stop radon completely.
How to stop radon?
If not a concrete sealer, then what? This is an important question as it is evident that we cannot live with radon present in our homes. You cannot put yourself in danger knowing the radon is going to affect you sooner or later.
It is clear by now that concrete sealer does not help in stopping the radon, but it minimizes the movement. Therefore, it is one of the many steps that you may apply to decrease the radon level present in the building.
In order to keep yourself safe from radon, setting up a radon mitigation system should be your top priority. A radon mitigation system will take the radon gas out of your home and will keep the inside air radon-free.
Conclusion
Concrete sealer does not stop radon completely, but it does not also mean that you leave concrete holes in the basement as it is and does not repair cracks, penetrations, and joints. The foundation is where the radon level is highest, and you should be taking care of it as required.
Do not forget to test your home as it is the only way to check whether the radon is present or not and at what radon level you are dealing with. Based on that, take appropriate actions.