I recently put down peel and press tile on a section of my basement.....big mistake. There is just too much moisture in the basement. The tiles are loose and there is black mold. I'm going to lift up the tiles and toss them. What should i use to clean the concrete. I seem to recall that bleach is good to kill mold.

An email friend of mine was sickened by black mold. Put him in the hospital,
and messed up the rest of his life. I'd do some internet research, and be
careful. You may be wise to buy a respirator. Serious risk, there.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

wrote in message
...
I recently put down peel and press tile on a section of my basement.....big
mistake. There is just too much moisture in the basement. The tiles are
loose and there is black mold. I'm going to lift up the tiles and toss them.
What should i use to clean the concrete. I seem to recall that bleach is
good to kill mold.

On Sunday, August 19, 2012 10:38:25 PM UTC-4, (unknown) wrote:
I recently put down peel and press tile on a section of my basement.....big mistake. There is just too much moisture in the basement. The tiles are loose and there is black mold. I'm going to lift up the tiles and toss them. What should i use to clean the concrete. I seem to recall that bleach is good to kill mold.

I plan on using a HEPA Air filter to clean the air while I wash the floor with bleach. I'm wondering if i should pain t the floor afterward to help seal it.

On Aug 19, 10:36*pm, wrote:
On Sunday, August 19, 2012 10:38:25 PM UTC-4, (unknown) wrote:
I recently put down peel and press tile on a section of my basement......big mistake. There is just too much moisture in the basement. *The tiles are loose and there is black mold. I'm going to lift up the tiles and toss them. What should i use to clean the concrete. I seem to recall that bleach is good to kill mold.

I plan on using a HEPA Air filter to clean the air while I wash the floor with bleach. I'm wondering if i should pain t the floor afterward to help seal it.

If you have moisture, it will just lift the paint up/off the floor in
a big bubble. Fix the source of the moisture

In article ,
wrote:

I recently put down peel and press tile on a section of my basement.....big
mistake. There is just too much moisture in the basement. The tiles are
loose and there is black mold. I'm going to lift up the tiles and toss them.
What should i use to clean the concrete. I seem to recall that bleach is good
to kill mold.

Google "don't use bleach on mold" if you want to hear the other side of
the debate. Bleach seems to be widely advocated, and widely disparaged
as well.

On Aug 19, 7:38*pm, wrote:
I recently put down peel and press tile on a section of my basement.....big mistake. There is just too much moisture in the basement. *The tiles are loose and there is black mold. I'm going to lift up the tiles and toss them. What should i use to clean the concrete. I seem to recall that bleach is good to kill mold.

Black mold is DANGEROUS! However, I believe that famous black mold is
'green' in color. Go figure. But mold can be an hallucigenic, so be
careful.

From experience. Bleach kills, destroys, dissolves mold. BUT! it
outgasses as it works. Which means chlorine gas is generated during
the cleaning process.

Mold is insidious once it grows. It sends down mycelium into the
structure which even bleach can't always touch. So, it's like, if you
have mold once, you got it the rest of your life, UNLESS you remove
all the material. I'll bet if you clean the mold out, it'll be back
with a vengeance next month.

You'll probably find that since the heavy contamination in your
basement, you now have bread and/or vegetables molding faster. Those
spores go EVERYWHERE!

Back to your main problem, visible mold. Clean WITH bleach. Keep
everything super dry. Use anti-fungal and solve the dampness problem.

What is the life of mold spores? Ten years? Take that long of being
dry and clean before everything is dead. ...mold that is.

"hr(bob) " wrote:
On Aug 19, 10:36 pm, wrote:
On Sunday, August 19, 2012 10:38:25 PM UTC-4, (unknown) wrote:
I recently put down peel and press tile on a section of my
basement.....big mistake. There is just too much moisture in the
basement. The tiles are loose and there is black mold. I'm going to
lift up the tiles and toss them. What should i use to clean the
concrete. I seem to recall that bleach is good to kill mold.

I plan on using a HEPA Air filter to clean the air while I wash the
floor with bleach. I'm wondering if i should pain t the floor afterward to help seal it.

If you have moisture, it will just lift the paint up/off the floor in
a big bubble. Fix the source of the moisture

Right. Might need a sump pump and well.

Bleach will do a good job eating the mold. Bleach would also work it's way
into concrete, but it's not recommended for wood. Vinegar kill most mold.
I like a product called odoban. It works but smells good. Chlorine fumes
are good to kill airborn mold and will help clean walls etc. Alternately,
chlorite fumes are usually used for this purpose. It's first required to
get of the moisture.

It would be difficult to do a whole basement with chlorine and survive.
Kill it with odoban then scrub it off with soap. Dry dry dry.

Greg

On Mon, 20 Aug 2012 09:38:56 -0700 (PDT), Robert Macy
wrote:

On Aug 19, 7:38*pm, wrote:
I recently put down peel and press tile on a section of my basement.....big mistake. There is just too much moisture in the basement. *The tiles are loose and there is black mold. I'm going to lift up the tiles and toss them. What should i use to clean the concrete. I seem to recall that bleach is good to kill mold.

Black mold is DANGEROUS! However, I believe that famous black mold is
'green' in color. Go figure. But mold can be an hallucigenic, so be
careful.

From experience. Bleach kills, destroys, dissolves mold. BUT! it
outgasses as it works. Which means chlorine gas is generated during
the cleaning process.

Mold is insidious once it grows. It sends down mycelium into the
structure which even bleach can't always touch. So, it's like, if you
have mold once, you got it the rest of your life, UNLESS you remove
all the material. I'll bet if you clean the mold out, it'll be back
with a vengeance next month.

*UNLESS* you solve the water problem. Fix the problem and the symptoms will
magically go away. ;-)

You'll probably find that since the heavy contamination in your
basement, you now have bread and/or vegetables molding faster. Those
spores go EVERYWHERE!

Back to your main problem, visible mold. Clean WITH bleach. Keep
everything super dry. Use anti-fungal and solve the dampness problem.

Use *lots* of ventilation when using the bleach.

What is the life of mold spores? Ten years? Take that long of being
dry and clean before everything is dead. ...mold that is.

I don't think you can get it dry enough. Didn't they find active yeast in
Egyptian beer making vessels?

On Sun, 19 Aug 2012 22:50:59 -0400, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:

An email friend of mine was sickened by black mold. Put him in the hospital,
and messed up the rest of his life. I'd do some internet research, and be
careful. You may be wise to buy a respirator. Serious risk, there.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.

wrote in message
...
I recently put down peel and press tile on a section of my basement.....big
mistake. There is just too much moisture in the basement. The tiles are
loose and there is black mold. I'm going to lift up the tiles and toss them.
What should i use to clean the concrete. I seem to recall that bleach is
good to kill mold.

Wear a respiraitor and soak the molded concrete with a strong bleach
solution. Then rinse it well and dry it quickly.

Had a basement in a townhouse that had a foundation crack - the former
tennants had shelves all around filled with fishing and camping gear.
When it was cleared out there was black mold over everything.

I took a hose-end sprayer and filled it with bleach and hosed down the
entire basement - including the floor joists and subfloor above. We
let it sit for about half an hour and went in and did it again. Half
an hour later the garden hose rinsed it down, and there was no sign of
mold left. Fans and dehumidifier dried it out, and there has not been
a problem since. We DID get the foundation leak repaired.

2 years later the basement was finished - after confirming there were
no more leaks and the basement was mold free.

On Sun, 19 Aug 2012 19:38:25 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

I recently put down peel and press tile on a section of my basement.....big mistake. There is just too much moisture in the basement. The tiles are loose and there is black mold. I'm going to lift up the tiles and toss them. What should i use to clean the concrete. I seem to recall that bleach is good to kill mold.

Mix 1/3 bleach and 2/3 water in a garden sprayer. Spray on floor.
Rinse off after 20 minutes. (I sometimes just let it dry on its own)
Ventilate well.

It would appear the cement has no vapor barrier underneath, or it has
failed. The tiles are now the vapor barrier and moisture wicking up
has caused them to lift.

Prior to the tiles, the moisture wicking up would have been been
absorbed by the ambient air and not noticed.

To check for a vapor barrier, tape a 2' square piece of polyurethane
to the cement. If you can see moisture forming on the underside of the
poly within 48 hours, there is no vapor barrier. An easier way is to
fill a large garbage bag with clothes/towels and leave it sit on the
cement for two days. It should remain dry underneath.

There is litle that can be done in terms of fixing the root problem of
a missing vapor barrier. You could ask a flooring professional about
installing someting over the cement to act as a vapor barrier; for
example, seam free lino with waterproof glue. Ceramic tiles may be an
option if they are the porous type.

On Mon, 20 Aug 2012 18:55:49 -0700, G Mulcaster
wrote:

On Sun, 19 Aug 2012 19:38:25 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

I recently put down peel and press tile on a section of my basement.....big mistake. There is just too much moisture in the basement. The tiles are loose and there is black mold. I'm going to lift up the tiles and toss them. What should i use to clean the concrete. I seem to recall that bleach is good to kill mold.

Mix 1/3 bleach and 2/3 water in a garden sprayer. Spray on floor.
Rinse off after 20 minutes. (I sometimes just let it dry on its own)
Ventilate well.

It would appear the cement has no vapor barrier underneath, or it has
failed. The tiles are now the vapor barrier and moisture wicking up
has caused them to lift.

Prior to the tiles, the moisture wicking up would have been been
absorbed by the ambient air and not noticed.

To check for a vapor barrier, tape a 2' square piece of polyurethane
to the cement. If you can see moisture forming on the underside of the
poly within 48 hours, there is no vapor barrier. An easier way is to
fill a large garbage bag with clothes/towels and leave it sit on the
cement for two days. It should remain dry underneath.

There is litle that can be done in terms of fixing the root problem of
a missing vapor barrier. You could ask a flooring professional about
installing someting over the cement to act as a vapor barrier; for
example, seam free lino with waterproof glue. Ceramic tiles may be an
option if they are the porous type.
Virtually NO concrete floors in years past had vapour barriers or
insulation . You just need good drainage underneath.

Adding a Dri_core subfloor is the simple and effective way to put down
a tile floor (or vinyl, or carpet) on a concrete floor.

G Mulcaster wrote:
On Sun, 19 Aug 2012 19:38:25 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

I recently put down peel and press tile on a section of my
basement.....big mistake. There is just too much moisture in the
basement. The tiles are loose and there is black mold. I'm going to
lift up the tiles and toss them. What should i use to clean the
concrete. I seem to recall that bleach is good to kill mold.

Mix 1/3 bleach and 2/3 water in a garden sprayer. Spray on floor.
Rinse off after 20 minutes. (I sometimes just let it dry on its own)
Ventilate well.

It would appear the cement has no vapor barrier underneath, or it has
failed. The tiles are now the vapor barrier and moisture wicking up
has caused them to lift.

Prior to the tiles, the moisture wicking up would have been been
absorbed by the ambient air and not noticed.

To check for a vapor barrier, tape a 2' square piece of polyurethane
to the cement. If you can see moisture forming on the underside of the
poly within 48 hours, there is no vapor barrier. An easier way is to
fill a large garbage bag with clothes/towels and leave it sit on the
cement for two days. It should remain dry underneath.

There is litle that can be done in terms of fixing the root problem of
a missing vapor barrier. You could ask a flooring professional about
installing someting over the cement to act as a vapor barrier; for
example, seam free lino with waterproof glue. Ceramic tiles may be an
option if they are the porous type.

There was no vapor barrier in homes around here. Mine is 1953. Sand
underneath.
It was up to the builder to provide proper drainage. They didn't even use
barriers on cinderblock up against dirt. If the water table comes up, you
will have water seepage. Many people install aftermath French drains and
pumps.
I'm fine pretty much. I can see old remnants of paint still on my floor,
most of it gone. Moisture will come through cement. Currently going to
install rugs and flooring, on top of marine foam insulation, with top layer
of strand board. All foam taped and sealed for moisture seepage. My
basement floor is not wet, else I would install pumps.

Greg

On Tue, 21 Aug 2012 02:31:23 +0000 (UTC), gregz
wrote:

G Mulcaster wrote:
On Sun, 19 Aug 2012 19:38:25 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

I recently put down peel and press tile on a section of my
basement.....big mistake. There is just too much moisture in the
basement. The tiles are loose and there is black mold. I'm going to
lift up the tiles and toss them. What should i use to clean the
concrete. I seem to recall that bleach is good to kill mold.

Mix 1/3 bleach and 2/3 water in a garden sprayer. Spray on floor.
Rinse off after 20 minutes. (I sometimes just let it dry on its own)
Ventilate well.

It would appear the cement has no vapor barrier underneath, or it has
failed. The tiles are now the vapor barrier and moisture wicking up
has caused them to lift.

Prior to the tiles, the moisture wicking up would have been been
absorbed by the ambient air and not noticed.

To check for a vapor barrier, tape a 2' square piece of polyurethane
to the cement. If you can see moisture forming on the underside of the
poly within 48 hours, there is no vapor barrier. An easier way is to
fill a large garbage bag with clothes/towels and leave it sit on the
cement for two days. It should remain dry underneath.

There is litle that can be done in terms of fixing the root problem of
a missing vapor barrier. You could ask a flooring professional about
installing someting over the cement to act as a vapor barrier; for
example, seam free lino with waterproof glue. Ceramic tiles may be an
option if they are the porous type.

There was no vapor barrier in homes around here. Mine is 1953. Sand
underneath.
It was up to the builder to provide proper drainage. They didn't even use
barriers on cinderblock up against dirt. If the water table comes up, you
will have water seepage. Many people install aftermath French drains and
pumps.
I'm fine pretty much. I can see old remnants of paint still on my floor,
most of it gone. Moisture will come through cement. Currently going to
install rugs and flooring, on top of marine foam insulation, with top layer
of strand board. All foam taped and sealed for moisture seepage. My
basement floor is not wet, else I would install pumps.

Greg
MUCH better than marine foam is the waffled plastic like is used on
the outside of block walls for drainage. Same stuff as on the back of
DriCore. And cheaper than dricore. We put 14mm bamboo interlock
flooring directly on the waffle, without sheathing .

On Mon, 20 Aug 2012 22:23:07 -0400, wrote:

On Mon, 20 Aug 2012 18:55:49 -0700, G Mulcaster
wrote:

On Sun, 19 Aug 2012 19:38:25 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

I recently put down peel and press tile on a section of my basement.....big mistake. There is just too much moisture in the basement. The tiles are loose and there is black mold. I'm going to lift up the tiles and toss them. What should i use to clean the concrete. I seem to recall that bleach is good to kill mold.

Mix 1/3 bleach and 2/3 water in a garden sprayer. Spray on floor.
Rinse off after 20 minutes. (I sometimes just let it dry on its own)
Ventilate well.

It would appear the cement has no vapor barrier underneath, or it has
failed. The tiles are now the vapor barrier and moisture wicking up
has caused them to lift.

Prior to the tiles, the moisture wicking up would have been been
absorbed by the ambient air and not noticed.

To check for a vapor barrier, tape a 2' square piece of polyurethane
to the cement. If you can see moisture forming on the underside of the
poly within 48 hours, there is no vapor barrier. An easier way is to
fill a large garbage bag with clothes/towels and leave it sit on the
cement for two days. It should remain dry underneath.

There is litle that can be done in terms of fixing the root problem of
a missing vapor barrier. You could ask a flooring professional about
installing someting over the cement to act as a vapor barrier; for
example, seam free lino with waterproof glue. Ceramic tiles may be an
option if they are the porous type.
Virtually NO concrete floors in years past had vapour barriers or
insulation . You just need good drainage underneath.

In the Midwest vapor barriers are normal under concrete floors. My parent's
house had it under the house they had built in '59. It's not new.

Adding a Dri_core subfloor is the simple and effective way to put down
a tile floor (or vinyl, or carpet) on a concrete floor.

wrote:
On Tue, 21 Aug 2012 02:31:23 +0000 (UTC), gregz
wrote:

G Mulcaster wrote:
On Sun, 19 Aug 2012 19:38:25 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

I recently put down peel and press tile on a section of my
basement.....big mistake. There is just too much moisture in the
basement. The tiles are loose and there is black mold. I'm going to
lift up the tiles and toss them. What should i use to clean the
concrete. I seem to recall that bleach is good to kill mold.

Mix 1/3 bleach and 2/3 water in a garden sprayer. Spray on floor.
Rinse off after 20 minutes. (I sometimes just let it dry on its own)
Ventilate well.

It would appear the cement has no vapor barrier underneath, or it has
failed. The tiles are now the vapor barrier and moisture wicking up
has caused them to lift.

Prior to the tiles, the moisture wicking up would have been been
absorbed by the ambient air and not noticed.

To check for a vapor barrier, tape a 2' square piece of polyurethane
to the cement. If you can see moisture forming on the underside of the
poly within 48 hours, there is no vapor barrier. An easier way is to
fill a large garbage bag with clothes/towels and leave it sit on the
cement for two days. It should remain dry underneath.

There is litle that can be done in terms of fixing the root problem of
a missing vapor barrier. You could ask a flooring professional about
installing someting over the cement to act as a vapor barrier; for
example, seam free lino with waterproof glue. Ceramic tiles may be an
option if they are the porous type.

There was no vapor barrier in homes around here. Mine is 1953. Sand
underneath.
It was up to the builder to provide proper drainage. They didn't even use
barriers on cinderblock up against dirt. If the water table comes up, you
will have water seepage. Many people install aftermath French drains and
pumps.
I'm fine pretty much. I can see old remnants of paint still on my floor,
most of it gone. Moisture will come through cement. Currently going to
install rugs and flooring, on top of marine foam insulation, with top layer
of strand board. All foam taped and sealed for moisture seepage. My
basement floor is not wet, else I would install pumps.

Greg
MUCH better than marine foam is the waffled plastic like is used on
the outside of block walls for drainage. Same stuff as on the back of
DriCore. And cheaper than dricore. We put 14mm bamboo interlock
flooring directly on the waffle, without sheathing .

I don't know what it is, but not only water barriers, but radon barriers
are needed here. The only thing, they used to tar the wall, which didn't
last very long, I still don't think they use anything here. They need to.

Greg

On Aug 20, 6:55*pm, G Mulcaster wrote:
On Sun, 19 Aug 2012 19:38:25 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

I recently put down peel and press tile on a section of my basement.....big mistake. There is just too much moisture in the basement. *The tiles are loose and there is black mold. I'm going to lift up the tiles and toss them. What should i use to clean the concrete. I seem to recall that bleach is good to kill mold.

Mix 1/3 bleach and 2/3 water in a garden sprayer. *Spray on floor.
Rinse off after 20 minutes. (I sometimes just let it dry on its own)
Ventilate well.

It would appear the cement has no vapor barrier underneath, or it has
failed. *The tiles are now the vapor barrier and moisture wicking up
has caused them to lift.

Prior to the tiles, the moisture wicking up would have been been
absorbed by the ambient air and not noticed.

To check for a vapor barrier, tape a 2' square piece of polyurethane
to the cement. If you can see moisture forming on the underside of the
poly within 48 hours, there is no vapor barrier. An easier way is to
fill a large garbage bag with clothes/towels and leave it sit on the
cement for two days. It should remain dry underneath.

There is litle that can be done in terms of fixing the root problem of
a missing vapor barrier. *You could ask a flooring professional about
installing someting over the cement to act as a vapor barrier; for
example, seam free lino with waterproof glue. *Ceramic tiles may be an
option if they are the porous type.

Doesn't the lack of vapor barrier indicate a potential buildup of
radon gas, too?

On Tue, 21 Aug 2012 08:48:49 -0700 (PDT), Robert Macy
wrote:

On Aug 20, 6:55Â*pm, G Mulcaster wrote:
On Sun, 19 Aug 2012 19:38:25 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

I recently put down peel and press tile on a section of my basement.....big mistake. There is just too much moisture in the basement. Â*The tiles are loose and there is black mold. I'm going to lift up the tiles and toss them. What should i use to clean the concrete. I seem to recall that bleach is good to kill mold.

Mix 1/3 bleach and 2/3 water in a garden sprayer. Â*Spray on floor.
Rinse off after 20 minutes. (I sometimes just let it dry on its own)
Ventilate well.

It would appear the cement has no vapor barrier underneath, or it has
failed. Â*The tiles are now the vapor barrier and moisture wicking up
has caused them to lift.

Prior to the tiles, the moisture wicking up would have been been
absorbed by the ambient air and not noticed.

To check for a vapor barrier, tape a 2' square piece of polyurethane
to the cement. If you can see moisture forming on the underside of the
poly within 48 hours, there is no vapor barrier. An easier way is to
fill a large garbage bag with clothes/towels and leave it sit on the
cement for two days. It should remain dry underneath.

There is litle that can be done in terms of fixing the root problem of
a missing vapor barrier. Â*You could ask a flooring professional about
installing someting over the cement to act as a vapor barrier; for
example, seam free lino with waterproof glue. Â*Ceramic tiles may be an
option if they are the porous type.

Doesn't the lack of vapor barrier indicate a potential buildup of
radon gas, too?
That depends on what is below. No radon problems here in Central
Ontario (or South-western-depending how you look at it) but we are not
sitting on Granite. We have limestone, which reduces the risk
substantially. Bancroft is a different story.

But then the whole question of whether radon IS an issue is still
totally up in the air.

wrote:
On Tue, 21 Aug 2012 08:48:49 -0700 (PDT), Robert Macy
wrote:

On Aug 20, 6:55 pm, G Mulcaster wrote:
On Sun, 19 Aug 2012 19:38:25 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

I recently put down peel and press tile on a section of my
basement.....big mistake. There is just too much moisture in the
basement. The tiles are loose and there is black mold. I'm going to
lift up the tiles and toss them. What should i use to clean the
concrete. I seem to recall that bleach is good to kill mold.

Mix 1/3 bleach and 2/3 water in a garden sprayer. Spray on floor.
Rinse off after 20 minutes. (I sometimes just let it dry on its own)
Ventilate well.

It would appear the cement has no vapor barrier underneath, or it has
failed. The tiles are now the vapor barrier and moisture wicking up
has caused them to lift.

Prior to the tiles, the moisture wicking up would have been been
absorbed by the ambient air and not noticed.

To check for a vapor barrier, tape a 2' square piece of polyurethane
to the cement. If you can see moisture forming on the underside of the
poly within 48 hours, there is no vapor barrier. An easier way is to
fill a large garbage bag with clothes/towels and leave it sit on the
cement for two days. It should remain dry underneath.

There is litle that can be done in terms of fixing the root problem of
a missing vapor barrier. You could ask a flooring professional about
installing someting over the cement to act as a vapor barrier; for
example, seam free lino with waterproof glue. Ceramic tiles may be an
option if they are the porous type.

Doesn't the lack of vapor barrier indicate a potential buildup of
radon gas, too?
That depends on what is below. No radon problems here in Central
Ontario (or South-western-depending how you look at it) but we are not
sitting on Granite. We have limestone, which reduces the risk
substantially. Bancroft is a different story.

But then the whole question of whether radon IS an issue is still
totally up in the air.

I guess it's in line with second hand smoke, except you can't smell it,
although the acceptable radon level is equivalent with smoking 5 cigarettes
a day.

Greg

Greg

On Wed, 22 Aug 2012 02:00:51 +0000 (UTC), gregz
wrote:

wrote:
On Tue, 21 Aug 2012 08:48:49 -0700 (PDT), Robert Macy
wrote:

On Aug 20, 6:55 pm, G Mulcaster wrote:
On Sun, 19 Aug 2012 19:38:25 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

I recently put down peel and press tile on a section of my
basement.....big mistake. There is just too much moisture in the
basement. The tiles are loose and there is black mold. I'm going to
lift up the tiles and toss them. What should i use to clean the
concrete. I seem to recall that bleach is good to kill mold.

Mix 1/3 bleach and 2/3 water in a garden sprayer. Spray on floor.
Rinse off after 20 minutes. (I sometimes just let it dry on its own)
Ventilate well.

It would appear the cement has no vapor barrier underneath, or it has
failed. The tiles are now the vapor barrier and moisture wicking up
has caused them to lift.

Prior to the tiles, the moisture wicking up would have been been
absorbed by the ambient air and not noticed.

To check for a vapor barrier, tape a 2' square piece of polyurethane
to the cement. If you can see moisture forming on the underside of the
poly within 48 hours, there is no vapor barrier. An easier way is to
fill a large garbage bag with clothes/towels and leave it sit on the
cement for two days. It should remain dry underneath.

There is litle that can be done in terms of fixing the root problem of
a missing vapor barrier. You could ask a flooring professional about
installing someting over the cement to act as a vapor barrier; for
example, seam free lino with waterproof glue. Ceramic tiles may be an
option if they are the porous type.

Doesn't the lack of vapor barrier indicate a potential buildup of
radon gas, too?
That depends on what is below. No radon problems here in Central
Ontario (or South-western-depending how you look at it) but we are not
sitting on Granite. We have limestone, which reduces the risk
substantially. Bancroft is a different story.

But then the whole question of whether radon IS an issue is still
totally up in the air.

I guess it's in line with second hand smoke, except you can't smell it,
although the acceptable radon level is equivalent with smoking 5 cigarettes
a day.

Greg

Greg
According to the American EPA.

Other authorities dissagree. The data the EPA uses is old data based
on uranium miners who smoked, working in a dirty hole of a uranium
mine in the fifties.

More recent studies in Finland pretty well debunk the american study.

Also see: http://www.forensic-applications.com/radon/radon.html
and :
http://articles.mcall.com/1988-09-21...r-cancer-rates
and even http://phys.org/news125672761.html - which shows low levels
of radon actually REDUCE the insidence of lung cancer.