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If you believe that radon gas is intruding into your home, it’s time to take action against it. Basement & Radon Solutions can help you by providing radon testing and a quote on the cost of a radon mitigation system in your home.
One similarity that every home shares is its potential to have high radon levels. Whether a home is new or old, radon can enter and build up to unhealthy amounts, making a home dangerous.
Radon gas of some levels will be found in all homes when tested, it can also be controlled and reduced. As important as it is to live in a home with low radon levels, these levels become equally important when buying or selling a home. Radon is something that all real estate agents should consider and advise sellers to test for prior to putting the home on the market.
As a gas, radon can enter any home through cracks, holes, or any other openings. In particular, radon enters homes through a process known as the “stack effect,” which pulls the gas into the home.
Since the pressure inside the house is lower than the pressure outside the house, a vacuum is created. As the warm air rises, it makes its way out of the house and is then replaced by unconditioned air from the outside.
This air can then quickly begin to build up, especially when the weather gets cooler and windows (escape routes) are closed. In other words, the radon gets trapped. There could be a lot or a little, which is why every homeowner needs to test for radon every two years.
Radon is an odorless, colorless, and tasteless gas that comes from the breakdown of uranium in soil, water, and rock. Radon gas is utterly impossible to notice using any of the human senses. The only way to know if your current radon level in your home is to test. Radon levels can vary from house to house, even in the same neighborhood! Radon gas is a known carcinogenic and has been linked to lung cancer. Radon gas affects everyone differently but can be especially harmful to those with breathing issues or those who smoke cigarettes.
Currently, it is not a requirement to be licensed in North Carolina for Radon testing or Radon mitigation. However, we at Basement & Radon Solutions are licensed for both Radon testing & Radon mitigation through the National Radon Proficiency Program, or NRPP for short. This means we are completely up to date on all Radon information, classes, and standards. We take pride in being able to give our customers the satisfaction & knowledge that their radon system or test was done correctly.
Radon gas can be found in all homes. Basement homes, slab-on-grade homes, and crawl space homes – all can sustain high radon levels and most homes’ levels can be significantly reduced with radon mitigation. Some homes, however, are not as easy to mitigate as others, and some may actually not be receptive to mitigation. It is important for a homeowner to know what the radon levels are before buying or selling a home.
This test is great option to get a very accurate reading of a home’s radon level. Due to the length of the testing period you can live in the home as normal and no testing restrictions are placed on the occupants. Results are run by an external lab.
This is the most popular form of radon testing. Often used in real estate transactions these test offer a fast turn around time for results. These tests also come with a report that showcase hourly radon readings for the home. Due to the short duration of the test some testing regulations apply.
Every home should be tested for radon regardless of where the home is located, the age of the home, or foundation type. It should be tested whether or not the home is in an area that is “prone to having radon problems.” Homes with elevated radon levels have been found in practically every county in the United States. The U.S. EPA has established that if a home or building is found to have a radon level of 4 pCi/L or higher, action should be taken to reduce it. The EPA also recommends that homeowners test their house every two years to monitor how their radon levels change over time. Basement & Radon Solutions, BRS Pros, is fully licensed for both radon testing & mitigation. Due to COVID there is a limited service area with Radon testing & mitigation. Call our office for what radon testing is available in your area. Both types of radon testing, where available, cost $150+tax.
If you do your own in-home test, it is recommended that you use two EPA approved passive radon testing devices. Read the installed testing device instructions prior to starting the test. Be aware that any test lasting less than a week requires closed-house conditions.
Closed house conditions means keeping all windows on all levels closed, keeping doors closed except for normal entry and exit, and not operating fans or other machines which bring air in from outside (except for fans that are part of a radon reduction system, or small exhaust fans that operate for only short periods of time).
Begin closed-house conditions at least 12 hours before the start of the short-term test. Take control of your environment
Maintain closed-house conditions during the entire duration of the short term test, especially for tests less than one week in duration. Operate home heating or cooling systems normally during the test. For tests lasting less than one week, only operate air conditioning units that recirculate interior air.
Stack effect in the home draws air from beneath your home and up into your living space. Depressurizing the soil beneath the structure allows for the radon gas to be redirected with a vent system to the exterior of the home. A hole is drilled through the concrete slab to create a suction point (sometimes more than one suction point is needed). The PVC pipe is then installed through the house to above the roof, or through an exterior foundation wall of the home. This type of system is known as a sub-slab depressurization.
If your home has a crawl space, a piping system is installed on the crawl space floor in conjunction with a radon barrier, the radon gas is then vented through a PVC pipe that is connected to the crawl space system. The PVC pipe is installed through the house to above the roof, or through an exterior wall of the home. This type of system is known as sub-membrane depressurization.
The next step is installing the radon fan and extending the piping system to the exterior of the home. Proper sizing of the fan and piping system is important to effectively lower radon levels. Sizing of the system is determined by diagnostics testing of the slab or crawl space. If the system is routed to the attic, the fan will be installed in the attic or if through an exterior wall, the fan will be mounted on the exterior and a vent pipe will be extended to an approved location as required by system protocols.
Some newer homes have the radon piping system installed that runs through the home. The piping system is installed when the home is built. This type of system is known as a passive radon system. A passive system does not have a radon fan installed; it merely allows the radon gas to naturally vent to the exterior of the home.
Lastly, radon entry points are sealed. To resist gas entry, cracks are sealed using a urethane caulking compound. A final system checklist is then performed. The checklist makes sure the system adheres to US EPA Radon Mitigation Standards. Proper system labeling and proper fan installation is checked, as well as other key steps. Post mitigation testing is done within 30 days of the system installation to ensure the system is working effectively.
You may be in need of a radon reduction system or maybe you have an installed radon system that needs service. Our courteous staff is eager to deal with your individual issues. Our trained technicians with over 20+ years of combined radon mitigation experience take pride in their work and ability to provide our customers with the best products and systems available. We provide our customers with the comforts and peace of mind they deserve. Serving Henderson, Buncombe, Transylvania and Polk Counties.