Crawl Space Vapor Barriers, Radon Gas & Mold - How Do They Relate?

I read every one of these articles on the internet about how to prevent radon gas from entering your home - at that point, I'll peruse an independent article about how to forestall shape in the home because of abundance dampness. These are various issues, yet both have a similar solution: install a liner underneath the home with 0.000 permeability. It's not that much more complicated than that.

Blocking Out Radon Gas is Easy

I've read 10-page articles about how to stop radon gas from entering the home, detailed with different techniques (some completely outlandish) and elaborate systems to buy. Radon is just a naturally occurring gas in the soil that is more prevalent in some areas than others. Small doses or small exposure times are not harmful, but radon gas can be harmful if inhaled over a long enough period.

There are many solutions out there that stop 95% to 98% of radon gas - but waste your time and money to block out some of the radon gas? Look for a crawl space liner with 0.000 permeability to block out 100% of radon gas.

Moisture Barrier = Mold Barrier

It's virtually impossible to stop mold spores from entering your home, but what you can stop is the food that encourages mold growth: moisture. The flow of moisture follows the flow of heat, which enters from underneath the home then rises through the floorboards and exits through the attic. As moisture flows through the house it will usually cling to a place in the home such as floorboards, paper-lined gypsum & wood rafters in the attic.

Other Benefits of Zero Perm Liners

Weatherize: the home's energy efficiency is increased when the internal air is better encapsulated in the home. Installing a zero perm liner is much easier than filling every microscopic crack with caulk.

Insulate: internal air can also escape the home using conduction. Look for a crawl space liner with some R-value, I would recommend R4 or R5

Added storage space: a liner crawl space or basement makes a nice place to store those things you have in the garage that are seldom used but you don't want to throw away (I'm always storing Christmas decorations in mine)

Energy Star Rated = Tax Credit: Energy Star Rated Liners can earn you 30% back on your cost of materials up to $1500

DIY: There are many benefits these days to doing it yourself.