Lowering Radon Levels in your Home
While most of us are familiar with the need to have high – quality air purification systems in our living areas, many may not be familiar with the dangers of radon gas when it’s detected in our homes.
Radon is a radioactive gas, and it enters the home via the naturally occurring breakdown of uranium in the water, soil and rock. Because most homes have a negative air inflow, it’s difficult to get rid of potentially harmful radon if the appropriate measures aren’t taken. Radon gas is a known carcinogen (per the EPA guidelines), and has been indicated as causing lung cancer, so there’s really no way to avoid the fact that you’re going to have to get rid of it if the measurements indicate harmful levels existing in your home.
For those who’ve bought or are looking to buy a new home, radon testing should be done to be sure the level is below 4 pCi/L. If your home’s radon levels are too high, you can change a passive ventilation system into what’s called an active system by adding a vent fan to reduce radon levels.
The reality is that this kind of work is not for the typical do – it – yourselfer. You’ll have to locate a professional, someone who is considered to be a qualified radon mitigator to install radon – resistant procedures into your living spaces, whether you have an old home or a new one. The costs involved should be similar to other home repairs you’ve done in the past.
One vitally important factor here is dependent on your home’s foundation. If you’re planning on having a new home built, ask your prospective builder if they’re planning on using the EPA’s recommended approach.
When interviewing prospective radon professionals or home inspectors, they should have a basic understanding on the actions that are needed to mitigate the radon levels in your home, including knowing the best place to put their radon test equipment. The testing equipment should go into the lowest level of your house that’s occupied on a regular basis, such as any area used for exercise, a play area or a bedroom. Dens or workshops should also be considered, if applicable. According to current EPA guidelines, any testing should not be done in stairways, closets, crawl spaces, hallways or in any other spaces that are enclosed where there’s either increased air flow or high humidity. Additional areas like the bathroom, furnace room, kitchen, crawl spaces or the laundry room should be subsequently avoided in this regard.
Unless accurate radon testing is performed, there’s no way to know the level of radon in the home you’re buying, building or selling – and that means you must employ the services of a professional, in order to be absolutely sure what you’re dealing with at the outset. There’s no reason to risk your family’s health and future regarding radon gas in your home – make sure your radon professional mitigator or home inspector is qualified to do the testing, and make sure you apply the necessary actions if the results dictate.
Related Posts
As part of our continued coverage of National Radon Action Month, I’d like to share the EPA’s complete list of radon myths.
Dangerous radon gas in 8 million U.S. homes
According to EPA, over 8 million U.S. homes are affected by dangerous levels of radon gas.
People often wonder about whether they should have their new home testing for radon.
What to Know About Radon Testing
Before a homeowner can understand why to get radon testing, it is important to explain what radon really is.
January is National Radon Action Month.
Mail this post