Radon is often overlooked in most residential homes in the United States, but is notably the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US. Radon is an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas that seeps into the home, particularly in crawlspaces with dirt floors or cracked foundations. Radon does not show immediate effects to homeowners but instead shows up later in life causing health issues that could be easily avoided.

The EPA recommends fixing any home with radon leaks at or above 4.0 pCi/L. (picocuries per liter) If your home exceeds the 4.0 limit, installing a new mitigation system that focuses on active soil depressurization will not only improve the health of you and your home, it will also improve the value of your home. A-AE recommends installing an active soil depressurization (ASD) unit that is drilled through the concrete floor (or under crawlspace vapor barrier) in your home with a continuous low powered radon fan installed. The primary function of the radon fan is to create a negative pressure zone under your home’s foundation or vapor barrier. This fan then safely draws out the radon gases from your home by pulling air from the soil with the radon gas in it and expels it safely out of your home.

Additional radon mitigation measures entail installing a thick 12-mil (6-mil is code minimum) cross woven vapor barrier in your crawl spaces with specific low gas permeability. This material allows you to create a seal at the soil and your home’s foundation, lowering the path’s radon can take into your home and thus lowering your risk of long-term lung cancer. Sealing any found gaps between soil and foundation or vapor barrier adds an additional layer of protection.

Radon Mitigation System On Home Exterior

Radon can be present in any home.

Radon provides no warning signs, no smell, symptoms, or visible damage and its health effects may not appear for years.

Even in dry well-built houses, radon can show its ugly face; testing is the only way to know your levels. Compared to long term health effects testing is low cost with proven mitigation systems significantly reducing or eliminating even the highest elevated readings.