Radon Mitigation: What It Is and Why You Need It

Radon mitigation is a great way to reduce your exposure if you have tested your home and found high levels of radon.

Radon is often overlooked by homeowners, who are aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide. Radon inspection in Parker CO is a way to reduce the levels of radon in your home to a safe level for your family’s safety.

We’re here to answer all your questions on radon mitigation, so that you are prepared and can protect your home.

Radon: The Dangers of Radon

Radon gas is found in trace amounts in the air. Outside, it is a gas that disperses quickly and doesn’t pose a major problem, but when it enters your home, it can be incredibly dangerous.

Radon gas can be undetected because it is colorless and odorless. It has long-term effects on health, such as:

• Coughing up a persistent cough.
• Shortness of Breath
• Constant wheezing
• Coughing blood
• Chest pain.
• Weight loss without effort.
• Lung cancer.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), radon is a leading cause of lung carcinoma among non-smokers, and it is responsible for approximately 21,000 lung cancer fatalities every year. Indoor radon levels can be managed and controlled with the help of proven mitigation techniques.

What is Radon Mitigation ?

Radon mitigation is a process that involves eradicating high levels of the radon gas in a home or building. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends mitigation if levels reach or exceed 4.0 picocuries/liter (pCi/L). There are many mitigation techniques and strategies that can reduce the radon level in your home or stop it from entering. The techniques are divided into two categories:

1. Active Radon Mitigation– Active radon reduction uses a fan that suctions radon gases from the underside of a home. These systems are very effective and should be used in existing homes, not new construction.
2. To reduce radon, a vent pipe is installed from the lowest layer under the roof up to the soil. An electric vent fan system runs 24/7 to eliminate radon.
3. Passive Radon Mitigation — Passive systems are similar to active systems, but they do not have fans. The natural pressure differential creates an airflow that moves the radon.

Passive systems are proactive techniques that can be helpful for homes and buildings with low radon levels. It’s also the best option for new buildings that haven’t been tested for radon.

Is Radon Mitigation Worth It?

We would all go to great lengths in order to protect the health and safety of our loved ones. An effective radon mitigation system can reduce radon levels by 99 percent. These systems are affordable and easy to use.

Radon Mitigation Systems Types

Basements, slabs-on-grade foundations and crawlspaces are all examples of foundations that can be fitted with radon mitigation system. For each foundation, we can divide the systems into active and passive versions.

You can reduce radon in homes with basements or slab-on grade foundations by using one of four types of soil sucking:

• Subslab suction reduces radon in homes with basements or slab-on grade foundations. This type of soil sucking is also the most reliable. The soil is sucked up by suction pipes that are placed through a floor slab inside the house or outside.
• You may need more than one pipe to achieve the same result. The radon fan releases the gas into the air by pulling it from beneath the house.
• Drain tile suction_You can add suction pipe to homes that have drain tiles or pipes with perforations that direct water away. The pipes will also direct radon gases out of the home along with the water.
• Sump hole suction– Basements often have sump pumps installed to remove water. You can cover the sump in this situation to continue draining the water while also serving as a location for a suction pipe to remove radon.
• Block wall suction– You can use this suction on homes with hollow walls. This system uses the walls as a way to remove radon and depressurize them. This method is frequently used in conjunction sub-slab vacuum. This is the least used technique.

There are two options for homes with crawlspaces:

• Submembrane Depressurization– When installed correctly, sub-membrane pressure depressurization can be the most effective method of radon mitigation. In this method, PVC piping runs through the slab and is connected to a blower. The pipe and fan combo draws the radon outside.
• Venting Crawlspace venting helps reduce indoor radon by reducing home’s suction to the soil. The radon under the house is diluted by installing or opening additional vents.

Additional Radon Mitigation Techniques

Other radioactive techniques include:

• Sealing– Sealing cracks and other openings on the foundation will help to limit the flow of Radon into your home.
• Pressurization of a room or home This technique blows air into the basement in order to create pressure on the lowest levels. This preventative measure will stop radon gases from entering the house in the first instance.
• Heat Recovery Ventilation– A heat recovery ventilation reduces radon levels by introducing outside air.
• Natural Ventilation– Open windows, doors and vents to ventilate and reduce the radon level in your home.

Our inspectors use the latest radon equipment in order to scan your house for radon, humidity, temperature, and pressure readings. If you are in need of radon protection, we will let you know as soon as possible.

We are located in Sandy Utah and we serve all the surrounding areas, including Murray, Draper and South Jordan.