How We Waterproof With an Existing Radon System in Campbellsville, Kentucky

Thursday, November 14th, 2024 by Jack Purdon

Challenge

This homeowner had an existing radon system, which was doing a great job for the homeowner at keeping the harmful gas away from their living space. However built up hydrostatic pressure under and around their foundation was putting their radon system at risk because tiny cracks began to form, (which allows radon gas to emit upwards into the home). The homeowner noticed this and started to seal the cracks as they formed, but as we all know, sealing cracks won't work in the long run. Scared of the harmful gas slipping through the cracks, they gave us a call to help ease their worries. Our inspector Joey told them this wasn't the first time we've waterproofed with an existing radon system, and not to worry. Joey devised a plan as to how we could waterproof this foundation without giving the harmful gas the slightest chance to escape from the soil and into their home.

If you already know what a radon system is you can skip this section:

Radon is a harmful gas that emits from the soil, and can vary upon certain geographical areas. It is odorless and invisible, and the only way to know if you have radon exposure in your home is through testing. A radon system usually entails a large fan that vacuums all the gas from under the house and discharges the gas up and out of the home through a large pvc pipe. Gravel usually sits below the floor of the home's foundation that serves as drainage for the gas to be sucked through. If there is a high water table in the gravel, it can hurt the effectiveness of the depressurization system. Prolonged exposure to radon can result in respiratory issues, and its important we installed the perfect waterproofing system to help their radon system stay effective.

Solution

Having the experience and training to know exactly what was needed for this homeowner, Joey came up with a perfect plan. We planned to install our full interior perimeter waterproofing system with a couple twists. Usually, our subfloor drainage system has a wall flange that has holes to be able to catch leaks running down from the walls. However, we were going to have to make sure the wall flange was sealed this time to not allow the radon to seep up through our drains. We recommended to the homeowner that we install our BrightWall wall panels to help seal the WaterGuard, cover the stained walls, and help the drain wall leaks to the WaterGuard. You see, this home was made of a block foundation, which is easily susceptible to cracks in the mortar between the blocks, which can lead to wall leaks. We also recommended to the homeowner we install our TrenchLock trench drain adjacent to the stairwell door. The TrenchLock has a nifty sealing system, which is better explained through the images below. We also installed our TripleSafe sump pump, which is the best option for maximum protection, as it comes with three different pumps including a battery backed one in case of power outage. Last and not least, we installed our SaniDry Sedona dehumidifier, which will keep this basement completely dry during the humid months.

This complete system we installed thanks to the hard work of Daniel, Collin, and Tyler will keep this basement dry and free of harmful gas. With everything sealed up at the seams and all the wall cracks covered, this waterproofing system will not allow radon gas to seep out. It will also help keep the water table low around the foundation, which will keep the radon system efficient. Be sure to take a look at the pictures below to better understand the system.

The radon system discharge line is the big pvc pipe to the right of the door.

Weeping holes will keep this foundation's water table low by allowing water to flow into our subfloor drains and out through the sump pump.

This existing wall was due for a makeover for sure!

We made sure to seal all our subfloor drains with our high-duty CleanSpace tape, which is moisture proof.

Here you can see the crack in the floor that was giving the radon system trouble. Now that the hydrostatic pressure is relieved, these cracks will stop forming and the customer can finally seal them for good.

Our BrightWall panels look great, are moisture sealed, are well insulated, and were the perfect choice for this job.

The thick concrete layer we layed over the drains will keep the radon and moisture out. We make sure to completely bond the concrete to the wall so it is sealed correctly.

This TrenchLock trench drain adjacent to the door is sealed thanks to a floating ball mechanism. Look at the next picture to see how it works behind the scenes.

This close up of the TrenchLock reveals how it keeps air out and lets water in. When water comes into the drain, the ball will float and allow the water to drain while keeping the gas out at the same time. We also use this nifty system for our sump pump lids, which allows water from the floor to fall into the sump pit. This is one of our patented products!

Our high duty TripleSafe will keep this radon system safe. The dehumidifier will help keep this basement dry as a bone. All of our sump lids are moisture proof and are flush with the floor.