Radon Mitigation is Necessary for a Healthy Living Environment
Radon Mitigation is Necessary for a Healthy Living Environment
Radon causes thousands of deaths every year. These deaths could have been prevented if homeowners had taken a more active role in protecting themselves and their loved ones. Radon is an invisible, tasteless, and odorless gas that comes naturally from the breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water. Regardless of if you own a newly built home or an older fixer-upper, radon could still be present.
Uranium is found in most soils, and radon can push its way up through the soil and into the air above. Radon can enter a home in several diverse ways. Most commonly, it enters a home through cracks in floors, gaps around service pipes and gaps in suspended floors. As radon decays, tiny radioactive particles are released into the air and are then inhaled. Upon inhalation, these particles begin to damage the cells that line the lungs. When there is prolonged exposure to radon (over a period), men, women and children are at a greater risk for developing lung cancer.
Homeowners can reduce the radon levels in their home with a radon mitigation system. Radon mitigation systems are usually highly effective in reducing radon levels by as much as 99 percent. Even homeowners who discovered their homes had extraordinarily high levels of radon found that they could reduce those levels easily. A certified technician should install all radon mitigation systems.
A radon mitigation system is comprised of several steps and varying equipment depending on your home and the radon levels found within. First a hole is drilled into the concrete slab, basement floor or the earth surrounding your home to create a suction point. Once the radon is through the hole, it passes through a connected PVC pipe that runs through the home or outside it. After that the radon gas is vented through the pipe to a fan that will direct the gas out and away from your home. To keep the radon gas from re-entering your home, all pathways, cracks, gaps and openings must be sealed with a urethane caulking compound. Once all this has been done, the technicians will then double check the system and fan installation as well as making sure the system meets US EPA Radon Mitigation Standards. Within 30 days of the system installation, your radon levels will need to be retested. This will ensure that the system is in fact working correctly or that adjustments are needed.
Since Radon exposure over a period has been proven to cause Cancer, it’s best for all homeowners to have their homes tested if you even suspect that you live in an area where Radon could be present. Radon mitigation isn’t as scary or as difficult to deal with as one may think. The certified radon mitigation specialists at Air & Moisture Testing, LLC will test your home for radon and if found, work with you to design a radon mitigation system for your home. Give us a call today at 1-888-370-6921!
