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Radon in Your Home
Radon is a carcinogenic gas that is hazardous to inhale. Build-up of radon in homes is a health concern and many lung cancer cases are attributed to radon exposure each year. About 12% of lung cancers > more than 22,000 Americans die of radon-related lung cancer each year.
The Surgeon General of the United States has issued a Health Advisory warning Americans about the health risk from exposure to radon in indoor air. The Surgeon General urged Americans to test their homes to find out how much radon they might be breathing. He also stressed the need for them to remedy the problem as soon as possible.
You cannot see, smell or taste radon, but it still may be a problem in your home. When you breathe air containing radon, you increase your risk of getting lung cancer. In fact, the Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high. Every home has some level of radon. Many states require radon testing for all homes being sold. Idaho does not yet require it.
Radon Mitigation
Mitigation is the act of repairing or altering a building to reduce the concentration of radon in the indoor atmosphere.
What to do if your radon level is 4 pCi/L or higher
If your radon level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or higher, you should hire an All-Secure Environmental Licensed mitigation professional to install a radon mitigation/reduction system in your home. Request a full written estimates from licensed radon mitigation professionals. The average cost of a mitigation system ranges between $800 to $1,400, but it can range from about $500 to about $4,500 depending on the characteristics of the house and the choice of radon reduction methods. Make sure you understand the recommended methods of mitigation before starting the work.
Although you may install a mitigation system in your own dwelling, without proper equipment or technical knowledge you could actually increase your radon level or create other potential hazards in your home. You should hire a Licensed mitigation professional for several reasons:
Discharging Above the Highest Eave
Discharging above the highest eave ensures that the outdoor air significantly dilutes the exhaust to minimize re-entry into the house and minimize exposure to persons in the yard and neighboring areas. To ensure public health and safety, IEMA requires that the point of discharge from fan powered soil depressurization systems be located:
* Above the highest eave of the roof
* As close to the roof ridge line as possible
* Ten feet from any window, door or opening (into the building) that is less than 2 feet below the exhaust point.
*Ten feet or more from any opening to adjacent building
Types of Radon Mitigation Systems
Sub-Slab Depressurization (SSD)
Active sub-slab suction uses a fan to draw radon from beneath the structure. SSD systems collect radon prior to entry and exhaust it to a safe location above the highest eave.
Sub-Membrane Depressurization (SMD)
SMD is performed in crawl spaces and areas that are directly in contact with rock or soil. A polyethylene or equivalent flexible material (plastic sheet) is permanently installed over exposed soil or rock. A fan draws radon from beneath the plastic sheet and exhausts it outdoors above the highest eave.
Sealing
All-Secure Environmental Services, does not recommend sealing the sump pump and sealing cracks alone to reduce radon concentrations. These techniques by themselves do not lower radon levels significantly or consistently. Sealing enhances the effectiveness and efficiency of radon reduction systems but it does not replace them.
Radon Mitigation Systems in New Construction
Builders typically install one of three types of radon mitigation systems in new construction homes:
* Passive sub-slab or sub-membrane depressurization system
* Passive or skeletal new construction systems
* Passive system "rough-in"
Passive Sub-Slab or Sub-Membrane Depressurization System
We recommend this option above all others. We encourage builders to install a complete passive sub-slab or sub-membrane depressurization system which would be fully functioning as soon as construction is finished. New construction installation is much simpler and cost-effective than a remodeling installation. The home should be tested after occupancy and the passive system should be converted to an active system if the test reveals elevated radon levels.
Passive or Skeletal New Construction Systems
Passive or skeletal new construction systems are not acknowledged mitigation systems and may or may not reduce radon concentrations in homes. If a test reveals elevated levels of radon, passive and skeletal new construction systems should be converted to active soil depressurization systems by a licensed mitigation
Passive System "Rough-In"
This technique involves only the sub-slab preparation and installation of a stubbed vent pipe above the slab. A vent pipe can be connected and routed through the home and roof later. We do not recommend this option. Installation is easier, less intrusive and more cost-effective during construction than after construction when the walls are closed up. Builders who "rough in" a radon reduction system, must:
* Disclose to the home buyer that the home is not equipped with a functioning system.
* Seal off the riser stub to prevent discharge of radon into the living space.
* Label the stub so it is not used as a plumbing waste line.
Radon Mitigation System Architectural Diagrams
