Protection against radon

Radon – the invisible danger from the ground

Radon is invisible, odourless and tasteless. But its radioactive decomposition products are dangerous: If the concentration of radon in an inhabited building is too high, it can build up in the lungs and lead to lung cancer. In simple terms the situation can be described as follows: «There are laws but no-one pays any attention to them». Radon and/or its decomposition products are a ticking time bomb for owners and tenants.

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Conclusion for responsible builders and owners

Radon causes lung cancer and is found everywhere in the ground. No two houses are the same and a measurement is necessary in order to be establish the facts. Building measures can resolve the radon problem and safeguard the value of a property.

Solutions

1. Radon-proof construction measures

Seal all cracks and joints in the floors and walls that are in direct contact with the soil or ground below
Seal all the conduits for wiring
Install a radon-proof division between the inhabited and the uninhabited areas
Floor slabs instead of strip foundations
Structural sealing
Do not use natural cellar floors

2. «Collect» radon and extract it

Collect radon in the room affected and extract it (reactive)
Drainage under the cellar and / or floor slabs (active)
Prevent exposure by collecting the radon in so-called «radon wells» in the earth (active)

Note

Sisalex 871, radon barrier

Radon permeability 2.3 × 10-12 m2s-1
Radon permeability level 7.2 × 10-9 ms-1
Weight 363 g / m2

Radon barriers

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Building physics

For those with a particular interest, we have summarised the most important aspects of building physics in an easy to understand language.

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