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Radon reduction systems work. In
most new homes, use of radon-resistant features will
keep radon levels to below 2 pCi/L. Some radon reduction
systems can reduce radon levels in your home by up to 99
percent.
Homeowners should consider
correcting a radon problem before making final
preparations to sell a home. This often provides more
time to address the problem and find the most
cost-effective solution. In addition, the current
occupants - not just the buyer's occupants - will reap
the benefit of reduced risk. |
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Your house type will affect the
kind of radon reduction system that will work best.
Houses are generally categorized according to their
foundation design. For example: basement, slab-on-grade
(concrete poured at ground level), or crawl space (a
shallow unfinished space under the first floor). Some
houses have more than one foundation design feature. For
instance, it is common to have a basement under part of
the house and to have a slab-on-grade or crawl space
under the rest of the house. In these situations a
combination of radon reduction techniques may be needed
to reduce radon levels to below 4 pCi/L.
There are several methods that
a contractor can use to lower radon levels in your home.
Some techniques prevent radon from entering your home
while others reduce radon levels after it has entered.
EPA generally recommends methods that prevent the entry
of radon.
In many cases, simple systems
using underground pipes and an exhaust fan may be used
to reduce radon. Such systems are called "sub-slab
depressurization," and do not require major changes to
your home. These systems remove radon gas from below the
concrete floor and the foundation before it can enter
the home. Similar systems can also be installed in
houses with crawl spaces. Radon contractors use other
methods that may also work in your home. The right
system depends on the design of your home and other
factors.
Sealing cracks and other
openings in the floors and walls is a basic part of most
approaches to radon reduction. Sealing does two things,
it limits the flow of radon into your home and it
reduces the loss of conditioned air, thereby making
other radon reduction techniques more effective and
cost-efficient. EPA does not recommend the use of
sealing alone to reduce radon because, by itself,
sealing has not been shown to lower radon levels
significantly or consistently. It is difficult to
identify and permanently seal the places where radon is
entering. Normal settling of your house opens new entry
routes and reopens old ones.
Any information that you may
have about the construction of your house could help
your contractor choose the best system. Your contractor
will perform a visual inspection of your house and
design a system that is suitable. If this inspection
fails to provide enough information, the contractor will
need to perform diagnostic tests to help develop the
best radon reduction system for your home. Whether
diagnostic tests are needed is decided by details
specific to your house, such as the foundation design,
what kind of material is under your house, and by the
contractor's experience with similar houses and similar
radon test results. |
