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The gas is then trapped inside your home, where it can build to dangerous levels. They should also be able to provide tips for keeping your home safe, such as continually checking for and sealing up cracks in your foundation. A professional radon abatement service is the only way to reliably reduce radon levels below the accepted safety standard of 4.0 pCi/L. Many strategies to reduce radon can impact your heating and cooling bills due to increased ventilation.
Every house has what’s called a “unique pressurization signature.” This is the result of the heating, ventilation, plumbing and drainage systems working together. Always test radon levels again after you’ve made any of these changes. Periodically check on the equipment to ensure it is operating correctly. Contact your contractor if there are any issues or malfunctions. Also, fans need replaced about every 5 years, and filters, like for a heat recovery ventilator, may need changed as often as every 6 months.
Does radon gas rise?
Contact your state radon officeexternal iconfor more information, or get one or more estimates from qualified contractorsexternal icon. Plastic sheeting seams sealed is placed on top of the gas permeable layer and under the slab to help prevent the soil gas from entering the home. In crawlspaces, the sheeting is placed over the crawlspace floor. This layer is placed beneath the slab or flooring system to allow the soil gas to move freely underneath the house. In many cases, the material used is a 4-inch layer of clean gravel.
Many pundits and experts have postulated that the tests should be performed every two years and that this ought to suffice in a bid to rid your home of radon. This technique bears a striking semblance to the above sub-slab depressurization. However, there are still subtle variations in that this method does not employ suction through the venting just like in sub-slab depressurization always comes in handy.
Radon measurement pack
However, caulking, sealing, and painting will not effectively lower radon levels. Many homes and some workplaces have a suspended ground floor with a space underneath. Good ventilation of this space can reduce radon concentrations. Talk to your builder about installing a radon reduction system. You can obtain free copies of the EPA's Model Standards and architectural drawings and use them to explain the techniques to your builder. Let your builder know that the radon resistant features can be easily installed with common building practices and materials.
This gas-permeable layer is used only in homes with casement and slab-on-grade foundations; it is not used in homes with crawlspace foundations. For some people exposed to radon through their jobs, like uranium miners, millers and transporters, the US government has established the Radiation Exposure Compensation Program. It offers compensation for lung cancer and some other lung diseases to people who qualify. Exposure to the combination of radon gas and cigarette smoke creates a greater risk for lung cancer than either factor alone.
What Is the Danger of Radon Gas?
Radon, a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas, occurs in areas of uranium-rich igneous rocks or organic-rich soils. The presence of radon in clay soil depends upon the presence of radioactive minerals in the nearby parent rock or soil materials. Weather – changing temperatures and wind can affect the pressure difference between indoor air and ground air. This is important because radon traditionally leaks into the house from ground air. Stop smoking and discourage smoking in your home.Smoking significantly increases the risk of lung cancer from radon.
Walk through the system with the contractor to develop familiarity. After the contractor is finished making adjustments and installations, ask them to walk you through the system. Ask questions if you need clarification and write down any instructions or pertinent information the contractor provides. For information about installing an in-line fan, see Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide to Radon. The techniques described here also make your home more energy efficient and could provide you an average of $65 savings per year in your energy costs. For a new home, ask if radon-resistant construction features were used and if the home has been tested.
This system, known as a soil depressurization system, does not require major changes to your home. Sealing foundation cracks and other openings makes this kind of system more effective and cost-efficient. Similar systems can also be installed in houses with crawl spaces. The right system depends on the design of your home and other factors like whether your home has a basement. Radon is a radioactive gas that is naturally released in the air from rocks and soil. It can be found in the air outside and can get inside buildings and homes, where it can build up.
The Environmental Protection Agency sets safe exposure limit standards for radon gas at between 2 pCi and 4 pCi. If the number exceeds 4 pCi, you need to hire a radon abatement contractor to remove the radon from your house when you get a radon test. Once that is done, a follow-up test should be performed to measure the levels to ensure they remain within safe limits. Testing is done through a device placed in your lowest level of living, not the lowest level of the entire home. The goal is to find the radon level your family is actively breathing in.
The expert will typically be a trained industrial hygienist, and they will have the skills and tools to do the job correctly. He will generally use small canisters equipped with a unique charcoal filter and place them in the lowest living area of your home for at least two full days. No traffic may be active at least 12 hours before the test and during the sample period, and no air from outside can get in the room as it can negatively impact the test. If your home is equipped with a radon fan, you can leave it on, and if you are running a heating and cooling system, they too and be left running. Radon kits are not to be placed in the crawl space as this does not show radon gas levels that are trapped inside the house where you live. The second-best way to reduce your radon level, after a mitigation system, is airing out the home.
Your contractor will usually recommend an active mitigation system either inside your home or outside the house. Since every home is different, one option may work better for you than the other. The gas is then released into the air away from your home. While some of the solutions are simple, it is not a DIY job. “If you don’t do it right, you might actually increase the level of radon or compromise the air quality in your house,” says Wehrum.
This method rids of the radon by first confining all the dirt with the use of plastic membrane along the foundation walls. After this is done and accomplished, the venting system is then used to draw and direct the radon gas out to the outside air as the vent employed is thoroughly effective in doing this. There is no single and universally agreed-on way of removing radon from your home. It is quite difficult to DIY this endeavor hence the involvement of a professional is usually very vital.
I enjoy being outdoors with my family and golden retriever. Learn more about each testing option to determine which is best for your property. Routing a “passive” radon pipe from the basement through the roof during construction. "I just had my Radon level checked and it was 5.1. I started looking for ways to reduce Radon entering my house.
Your questions answered
When it comes to reducing your cancer risk, one important step could be right under your nose, or your feet. Getting your home tested for radon can help protect you and your family from a key cause of lung cancer. The only known health effect of radon is an increased risk of lung cancer. Radon testing is the only means with which you can be sure of the levels of radon within your property.
When combined with other effective measures, they can improve the reduction of radon levels. Completely sealing floors is difficult and can cause rot in wooden floors. The Environmental Health Department of your local council may be able to offer advice. For levels in excess of 1000 Bq m-3 you may wish to contact UKHSA for advice. Go to our radon websiteand click on the Certified Mitigator link. You will be directed to the NRPP/AARST website where you can search for qualified professionals in Utah.
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