A client has asked me to use 12mil DuraSkrim as a crawlspace membrane. I use the 3 mil Rufco and polyurethane sealant. I would like to use a sealant (in a tube) vs tape. What has been successful: Butyl Retarder Adhesive, NuFlex 446Acoustical & Vapor barrier, or polyurethane sealant (Geocell3300)?
These products are available from RadonAway.
Thanks so much.
Doug Stoll
Evergreen Radon and Construction Services
Fort Collins, Colorado
I would use polyurethane. Make sure the concrete foundation is clean and free of dust and form oil. With the extra weight of the 12 mil membrane, you may need mechanical fasteners as well.
I would not use polyurethane unless i had checked with manufacturer that they adhere well to poly products, a quick conversation with rep will go a very long way to sucess. we use dow corning construction sealant, low VOC, Cheaper than polyurethane I was buying before, comes in sausage tube, so i can use my battery operated gun. Ships direct to office when buying case quantity.
I would not adhere with just caulk we use a backer bar that is nailed into wall with Hilti nailer squishing caulk to wall and to poly.
Polyurethane sealant does not work with DuraSkrim. While it will initially seem to bond, once everything cures, the barrier can peel right off. I found this out the hard way years ago and had to reseal an entire crawlspace. You have to use either Butyl sealant (gutter seal) from Radonaway or Acryl-r from PDS.
Concrete must be clean, no matter what you use, but we now use 2lbs spray foam exclusively.
2 coats 1” -tough as anything once cured.
3-4” on concrete and the same on membrane edges
We use the system 600, available at Lowe’s, there are a number of commercially available products, that have been tested in our Radon Chamber such as Demilec Inc.