Radon Mitigation Techniques to Rid Your Home of This Dangerous Gas!

Regardless of the type of home or building, radon mitigation typically produces excellent results. The ideal solution is to stop radon in its tracks before dangerous levels are allowed to build in your home, endangering you and your family’s long-term health.

Here are the various methods of commercial radon mitigation if high levels of the gas are found in a building or home.

Suction

Sub-Slab Depressurization which basically reroutes the air under the foundation to outside the home before getting in through the cracks, crevices and porous foundation material.

Ventilation

This method can sometimes reduce indoor radon levels in crawl spaces by lowering the home's suction on the soil, as well as diluting the gas under the house. While passive ventilation is done by opening vents, active ventilation makes use of a fan to blow air throughout the area. This method is often used with sub-membrane depressurization to make it more effective.

Sealing

Any openings or cracks in the foundation are sealed as a basic step in radon mitigation. By sealing these areas, radon flow will be inhibited. This is used as a temporary method to reduce radon flow while other mitigation techniques are utilized.

Pressurization

This method makes use of a fan to blow air into the home’s lower level, which creates enough pressure to inhibit radon from entering the home. To maintain enough pressure doors and windows which are located at the lowest level of the home cannot not be left open.

Heat Recovery Ventilator

This method is used to boost ventilation in a home by introducing outdoor air utilizing heated or cooled exhausted air to warm or cool the air coming in.

The type of method chosen will depend on a number of factors, and after the contractor has had a chance to conduct a thorough walkthrough of the home.

What to Know About Radon in the Home

Many home owners like to have their home tested for radon, as radon can cause harm to humans if present in large amounts. The good news is that testing for radon in homes is not difficult. Just follow these steps:

Select a Good Radon Test Kit

There are many radon testing kits out there, but you need to ensure that the one you buy is going to provide accurate results. The best way to choose is to read consumer reviews of the product that you may buy. This ensures that you will get good, accurate test results.

Do Radon Testing at Right Time

Many people do not know that there are good and bad times to do radon testing. The best time to do the test is between October and April. This is when, in most parts of the U.S., when windows and doors are closed the most and will provide accurate results.

Do Longer Tests

There are both short-term and long-term radon tests. A longer test takes 90 days, and a shorter one takes two to seven days. Most choose the short-term test, but it is better to do the long term test to get the most accurate results. There are firms that can help you do radon removal, once you have your results.

Test at the Right Level of the Home

You need to do the test at the lowest level that the house is lived in. Radon can seep into a house through floor board cracks, so this is probably where the most radon will be. If you test upstairs, you may not get an accurate reading.

Know What to Do With Results

Testing is key, but you need to know what to do with the data. No level of radon in the house is safe, but a lower reading, which is under 100 Bq/m3, is something usually to monitor. If it is over 200, you do need to take action fast. 

What is the Danger of Radon Gas in the Home?

Most people know that the sun’s rays have radiation and it can damage both the skin and eyes. However, many do not realize that the earth itself also gives off radiation. This radiation can seep into the house and become an air hazard in your home. This type of radiation is known as radon gas.

Radon gas comes from the breakdown over time of uranium in the rocks and soil around the house. Radon is found all through the environment. Yet, when it is concentrated in high levels in the air inside a house or building, it can cause cancer. Specifically, radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer for smokers. It also is the top cause of lung cancer for non-smokers. Overall, radon gas kills about 21,000 people per year via lung cancer. This is even more than drunken driving deaths.

A big problem with radon is that it is invisible and cannot be smelled. It can show up in any type of house — old or new — and it can appear in houses with a basement or a slab foundation.

The EPA estimates that one out of 15 homes in the U.S. have high radon levels, or about 8 million houses.

Radon gas is usually one of the leading environmental concerns that the federal government deals with, and is the top environmental reason for cancer. This is the reason that the U.S. Surgeon General recommends radon testing for all homes. Radon gas is indeed dangerous, and you should follow the advice of the surgeon general.

The EPA has established an action level, at which you should deal with the radon level in your house. The action level is 4 picoCuries per liter of air. However, know that amounts lower than this may not be safe, either. The WHO states that levels higher than 2.7 picoCuries is dangerous. 

The Summer Could Be the Season With the Highest Levels of Radon in the Home

Many homeowners may not be aware that radon levels in their homes can be as much as 10 times higher in the summer as compared to the winter, when the majority of testing for the gas tends to be done. Experts in radon gas say the high variations among seasons is cause for concern about when exactly radon testing should be done in homes and buildings.

Many believe that radon gas levels are often seen as higher during the winter months is because that’s when doors and windows tend to be kept shut all season long, lowering overall ventilation that would otherwise be able to inhibit the accumulation of the gas.

However, in the summer, many homes — especially those with air conditioning — are sealed up just as much as in the winter to keep the hot air out. If that’s the case, radon levels could be even higher compared to the winter.

It is estimated that radon is responsible for the deaths of 5,000 to 20,000 people per year from lung cancer in the U.S.

It is recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that homeowners test their properties for radon both in the winter and summer, just in case.

Indoor radon levels more than four picocuries is considered dangerous, according to the EPA. The correlation between soil and indoor levels isn’t precise. It’s possible that seasonal variations might be caused by the dryness of the soil throughout the summer, thereby allowing the gas to travel more easily.

One thing is for certain: Regular testing should be done to ensure radon levels aren’t dangerously high. And if radon is indeed discovered, it needs to be effectively and thoroughly mitigated by experts in the field.

Reduce Radon Exposure in Your Businesses

As a business owner the last thing you want to worry about is an invisible gas creeping into your store or business where customers and employees visit every day. No one wants to be part of the reason that someone gets lung cancer but, regardless of where you live or where your business is, you need to have radon gas testing completed to determine if you and other people are being exposed to this dangerous and toxic gas.

The allowable amount by the EPA is 4.0 pCi/L; any amount higher than that should have a mitigation system installed. If the radon gas exposure levels are at 4.0 pCi/L or lower, it’s advised to have an air purification system installed for safety’s sake. We offer radon mitigation, a process that reduces radon concentrations, in order to keep your home or business safe from this dangerous gas.

Radon is a toxic gas and is the number-one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers and second leading cause of lung cancer in smokers. Radon gas is also radioactive, not visible to the human eye, and it cannot be smelled or tasted.

Each year more than 20,000 Americans die of radon-related lung cancer. Breathing radon gas is more of a health risk than drinking water that contains radon however, both scenarios should be addressed properly. Radon gas has a higher health risk for children than adults, so radon testing is especially important if your business works with children.

For more information and pricing, visit S.W.A.T. Environmental to get your home or business tested for radon gas and reduce your exposure.

Radon Gas FAQ PT 2

As you can guess, there are a lot of questions that arise when you are dealing with radon gas. Since this odorless gas is still not getting the press it deserves there is still room for questions to arise. This blog post will be a continuation of FAQ for radon gas, so you can feel fully informed!

How Do Home Test Kits Work?

The home test kit contains an activated charcoal device in a bag. The bag is hung in the home and left there for an amount of time. Afterwards, the bag is sealed and sent into a lab for testing. They are very reliable as long as the user makes sure to properly seal it before sending it into the lab. While they are cheaper, you will have to wait longer for results than if you hire a professional.

Can Radon Exposure Only Happen in Homes?

Radon gas exposure can happen in just about any structure, it is not limited to just residential areas. That means that exposure can happen in commercial, residential or any location that is exposed to uranium in the soil.  

These are the answers to some common questions. Make sure that to keep you, your family, and employees informed about the danger of radon gas. If your home has radon, call us to get a radon mitigation system installed in your home. 

Radon Gas FAQ PT 1

You can’t see it; you can’t hear it; and you can’t smell it. And it could be in your home or office, causing damage to those inside. It’s radon gas. Radon is a cancer-causing, radioactive gas. Breathing it in can cause lung problems and potentially cancer. It is estimated that radon gas causes thousands of deaths each year. This article will cover three of the most commonly asked questions about radon gas.

Where Does Radon Gas Come From?

Radon comes from the natural decay of uranium that is found in nearly all soils. As it is produced, it moves up through the ground and into the air. It gets into homes through cracks in the foundation.

Can I Test for It Myself?

Home test kits can be purchased online or at your nearest hardware store. They are simple and easy to use. Or if you’d rather you can call a professional home inspector who offers radon testing. This is more reliable but also more costly as it can be up to $300 depending on where you live.

Since radon gas can peak many questions, we will continue this blog post in a part two form! And, if you ever have any questions about radon gas, mitigation and exposure stop over to our website to learn more!