My house tested positive for excess radon. Does anyone know the procedure on how to fix this problem? My house was built in 2005, but it does not have an in place perforated pipe under the basement floor.
Radon Mitigation?
- Thread starter trailspike48
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It's expensive. I would guess about $4,000 to do it "right". It's a rip-off when you consider a 4 amp fan and some PVC pipe. I live in the middle of the Reading Prong and when then time comes to sell I'll handle the situation in my own way.
I've spent the last hour or so on youtube finding out how to reduce the radon levels. It actually looks doable. I consider my DYI skills to be above average so I may take this one on myself. I'll consult one of the companies that sells the system and make sure I purchase the right unit. Then the major problem will be renting the equipement to drill a hole in the basement floor, and seal the wall to floor seams. My guess is it will be less than $600 in material cost, and a day or less in labor. I wonder if I can get my realtor to help me? Not.
A lot of new houses built now just use a thick plastic sheet/tarpaulin as Radon protection. That works, but if you don't have it, keeping any enclosed spaces aired or using an extractor fan is plenty.
As a source - Radon comes from the bedrock. So, more of a problem in cellars and basements than anything else.
Given the size and behaviour or Radon ions, they cannot pass through thick plastic, a decent amount of concrete, or anything with a bit of thickness. The daughter isotopes (Lead, mostly) are immobile, so once it decays (below a membrane/barrier) you don't have to worry about it. The way it decays also (Beta radiation, if I remember correctly) means it's decay radiation is also stopped by plastic or concrete.
Seal any cracks or possible entryways for the gas, air out the place, and that alone will probably reduce the levels. Plastic sheeting will be a bugger to fit, but then, so will every other mitigation method.
(Most of that is stuff remembered from uni (Geology degree), and from living in a couple of houses over a Radon hotspot. A rock by the name of Northamptonshire Ironstone, which is high in Potassium, which tends to adsorb Radon and it's parent isotopes particularly well...)
As a source - Radon comes from the bedrock. So, more of a problem in cellars and basements than anything else.
Given the size and behaviour or Radon ions, they cannot pass through thick plastic, a decent amount of concrete, or anything with a bit of thickness. The daughter isotopes (Lead, mostly) are immobile, so once it decays (below a membrane/barrier) you don't have to worry about it. The way it decays also (Beta radiation, if I remember correctly) means it's decay radiation is also stopped by plastic or concrete.
Seal any cracks or possible entryways for the gas, air out the place, and that alone will probably reduce the levels. Plastic sheeting will be a bugger to fit, but then, so will every other mitigation method.
(Most of that is stuff remembered from uni (Geology degree), and from living in a couple of houses over a Radon hotspot. A rock by the name of Northamptonshire Ironstone, which is high in Potassium, which tends to adsorb Radon and it's parent isotopes particularly well...)
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