Waterproofing a Basement with an Existing Radon Mitigation System

Challenge

This home had a radon mitigation system that was installed into an existing sump pump. This is a common practice with radon mitigation systems because the existing sump pump pit and existing drain tiles make for a good depressurization system. Radon gas rises from the earth and is collected into the sump pit, and then a big fan from outside of the house blows all the dangerous gas away from the house. The radon system for this home was working very well, but the sump it was installed into was not moving water quickly enough away from the pit. If the water is not moved quickly enough away from the pit, it can cause problems for the mitigation fan, and also the finished basement floor. If the water pressure builds up enough on the basement floor, it can also cause cracks where radon gas can enter. This homeowner knew that we understood how important it was to make sure water stays away from the system, we agreed to help each other out. 

Solution

We started by installing our interior perimeter waterproofing system, but with a bit of a twist. instead of our normal WaterGuard, we installed Radon WaterGuard drains. These drains are very similar to our normal WaterGuard drains, but they completely seal out air. We do this by installing a foam strip all along the wall flange. This way, water can enter from the walls while also sealing the bad air out. Having a good mitigation system like this one won't let air bypass the foam strip because the air pressure from the fan won't let the air sit around for too long. Another difference between the Radon WaterGuard and the regular WaterGuard is that Radon WaterGuard has ports that allow us to service the drains in the future without compromising the sealed mitigation system.  

Now that we installed the special Radon WaterGuard drains, it was time for everything else. We started by hooking the drains up to our TripleSafe sump pump attached with an UltraSump 4 battery backup. We also attached two discharge lines from the sump pump to a safe place away from the outside of the home. It's important to note that we didn't need a special sump for the radon system because all of ours are already air tight. 

In the end, the customer let out a big sigh of relief knowing that water can't compromise their radon mitigation system from their older existing pump any longer. They also feel confident in their basements floor pressure being relieved, which will prevent cracks from forming.