Radon Mitigation

A professionally installed radon mitigation system is your best protection against cancer-causing radon

If a radon test shows that your home has radon levels around or above 4pCi/l (4 picocuries per liter), it’s important to have a radon mitigation system installed by a professional radon contractor. Without radon mitigation, family members will be exposed to potentially lethal levels of radioactivity in the form of invisible, odorless radon gas.

How radon mitigation works

When installed by an experienced radon mitigation specialist, a radon abatement system will lower the concentration of radon gas in your interior air to the minimal levels recommended by the EPA and other health and safety agencies. Before installing a radon mitigation system, the contractor will run a radon test to determine if radon abatement is necessary.

A typical radon mitigation system consists of a large-diameter plastic pipe that connects the air beneath your foundation to the outdoors. An in-line fan sucks radon-rich air from beneath your foundation and expels this hazardous air to the exterior. Instead of entering your basement or other living space area through numerous gaps and cracks in the foundation, radon gas is extracted from beneath your foundation before it can permeate into interior space.

Hiring a radon specialist

Because radon is a very prevalent problem, nearly every community is served by radon mitigation specialists. Competition between these specialty contractors can provide you with a wide price range for radon mitigation. It’s wise to select a contractor with experience in your area. The saying “you get what you pay for” applies to radon mitigation, just as it does to many goods and services. A professional contractor will also be able to explain more about the home radon levels that are considered to be "safe," or under the level that requires mitigation.

To make sure you’ll be satisfied with your radon mitigation system, talk to a prospective contractor about installation options for the mitigation system. It’s smart to locate the plastic exhaust stack and its inline fan at the back of the house and away from a bedroom window. Some homeowners opt to hide the exhaust stack inside the house, running the plastic pipe in closets or chases to keep it out of sight. An experienced radon mitigation contractor will be able to provide these installation options, as well as provide more information about radon and why radon testing is so important.