Knowing how to remove radon from home becomes an essential thing. Radon is a naturally occurring, radioactive gas that can cause serious health risks if it accumulates inside a home. Radon is released from rocks and soil into the air and can be found outdoors and indoors.
Unfortunately, there is no known safe level of radon, so reducing the levels in your home is critical for maintaining good air quality. When radon invades poorly ventilated and sealed homes, repeated exposure to concentrations above acceptable levels could increase the risk of developing lung cancer.
Reducing radon levels in your home can profoundly protect your family’s health. Sealing off holes and gaps in walls and floors can significantly reduce the outside air entering your home. The most important action, however, is testing for radon regularly; this will allow you to assess the current air quality condition inside your home so that you may take further preventative steps if needed to protect yourself and your family from potential health risks with high radon levels. Then takes the below steps.
How to Know My Home Has Hidden Radon?
Radon is an odorless, invisible, and tasteless gas that occurs naturally in the environment. It is a hazardous air pollutant that can be found in homes at levels potentially harmful to human health. Radon is created when uranium breaks down in soil, rock, and water and can enter homes through cracks in floors or walls, sumps, drains, or other openings.
Testing for radon is the only way to confirm your home has hidden radon. Radon test kits are available to purchase at any store and can be used to detect the presence of radon in your home. Or buy a radon detector to be on the safe side. You may find many radon detectors on the market, but among all of them, airthings corentium home radon detector is the best to purchase.
10 Ways How to Remove Radon From Home
1. Hire a Certified Mitigator
Hiring a certified mitigator is the best way to protect your home and family from radon. Certified mitigators have been trained to safely reduce radon levels, making them experts in their field. By using a professional with experience, you can be confident that they understand the seriousness of this issue and will perform the work correctly.
The NRPP/AARST website is a great place to locate certified mitigators in Utah. This website lists qualified, experienced professionals who can fulfill your radon mitigation needs. When searching for an individual to hire, look for someone with strong certification credentials and assurance that they take proper steps for safety protocols around your home. With the help of a certified mitigator, you can ensure that your home has safe levels of radon and protect your family from its long-term health impacts.
2. Avoid Using Exhaust Fans
Exhaust fans are commonly used in homes to remove humidity and odors from the air. However, they can also reduce radon levels in the home. Unfortunately, this is not effective and can actually make radon levels worse.
In general, exhaust fans do not provide an adequate ventilation system for a home containing radon gas. This is because the fan is usually too small and cannot create enough airflow to make a difference in radon levels. Therefore, it is best to avoid the use of exhaust fans when attempting to reduce radon levels in the home.
3. Seal and Caulk Gaps and Cracks
Gaps and cracks around your home’s foundation can be an easy pathway for radon gas to enter. Therefore, it is important to seal and caulk any gaps or cracks. This can be accomplished by using a high-grade silicone caulk. Once the caulking has been applied, it should be allowed to dry thoroughly before any further action is taken. Once the caulking has dried, a thorough home inspection should ensure all gaps and cracks have been properly sealed.
4. Under-Floor Ventilation Using Natural Methods
Underfloor ventilation using natural methods is a process that can help to reduce the amount of radon gas present in a home. The method creates an opening in the floor, allowing fresh, outdoor air to enter the basement or crawlspace.
To achieve optimal ventilation, removing any obstructions and opting for larger plastic vents is imperative. When installing vents in cavity walls, ensure they are properly sleeved through the cavity and connected to the under-floor space. Moreover, fitting plastic vents on all exterior walls every 1.5 to 2.0 meters, positioned above ground level and linked to the under-floor space is highly recommended for optimal outcomes. That way, you can reduce radon from your home pretty easily.
5. Positive Ventilation
Positive ventilation is one of the most effective ways to reduce radon levels in your home. It works by introducing a continuous supply of fresh air from the outside and extracting stale air from the inside. This reduces the pressure gradient between your home and the ground, which prevents radon gas from entering through cracks and other openings in your foundation.
Using an energy recovery ventilator ensures that the air inside your home is healthy and free of radon. This system works by extracting stale, contaminated air from the home and transferring heat from it to the incoming fresh outdoor air. This ensures that the home’s temperature stays regulated while reducing radon levels simultaneously.
You May Also Like: Outdoor Camera vs Indoor Camera – Which One is Right for You?
6. Make A Path
Once the test is complete and the technicians have verified that air can be evacuated, a three-inch hole is bored through the basement floor. A section of PVC pipe is inserted into the hole and cemented in place. The pipe is then hung from the joist with j-hook pipe hangers. The pipe run is connected to the vertical section from the floor.
Next, a smaller locator hole is bored through the rim joist to connect the pipe run to the outside. A 3-inch hole saw is used to bore a hole large enough for the pipe, and a section of PVC is inserted through the hole and connected to the pipe run inside. This section of the pipe will be the exit point for the system.
A radon mitigation fan is then attached to the three-inch PVC and connected to a power supply. The fan is engineered to run continuously, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Although the fan will run continuously, a weather-resistant switch is installed to shut the system off manually if needed.
The PVC pipe is then run horizontally to a location near the downspout, where it turns upward and around the eave. The final section of pipe extends the run well above the roofline. This final section of pipe ensures that the radon gas is exhausted well above the roofline and away from the building.
Finally, a device is installed inside to monitor the system and verify its proper functioning continuously. This device ensures that the system functions correctly and that the radon levels are reduced to safe levels.
7. Installing a Radon Reduction System
The first step in installing a radon reduction system is to call a certified professional who will come and assess your home and determine the levels of radon present. The technician will then recommend a suitable system for your home and install it.
The next step is to seal any cracks in the foundation or basement walls. This will help prevent further radon from entering your home and help the reduction system work more effectively, as it will not have to work as hard to remove existing radon gas.
Once the technician has identified the source of your radon problem and installed the mitigation system, it is important to maintain it properly. Regularly check for cracks or openings in the foundation or walls that may allow radon into your home. These should be sealed immediately with caulk or concrete sealant. Additionally, a professional should inspect your system annually to ensure all components function properly.
8. Cover Exposed Earth
Covering any exposed earth is one way to reduce the risk of radon entering your home. Covering exposed earth around your home’s foundation with a plastic sheet will help prevent radon from entering through cracks in the foundation or walls. This can be done by unrolling a 6-mil plastic sheet around the home’s perimeter and tucking it under any existing siding, trim, or other materials.
Another way to reduce the risk of radon entering your home is to seal vents and other openings in the foundation. Check around windows, doors, and any vents that lead into your basement or crawlspace. If you find any gaps or cracks, seal them using appropriate materials such as caulk or concrete sealant.
If you have a sump pump in your basement, ensure its lid is tightly sealed. This will prevent radon from entering through the pump’s intake lines. Finally, if your home has a crawlspace, ensure it is securely covered with a plastic vapor barrier to reduce the risk of radon seeping in through the soil beneath your house.
9. Use a Radon Test Kit
Testing for radon is the only way to accurately determine if you have a radon problem in your home. Radon test kits are widely available and inexpensive, making it easy for homeowners to test their homes for radon. The most accurate kits measure long-term levels of radon over a period of at least 90 days.
Short-term test kits measure radon levels for up to four days, but these are less accurate than long-term tests and may not provide an accurate indication of your home’s radon levels. If you choose to use a short-term kit, it should be followed up with a long-term test to get the most reliable results.
If your test results show that radon levels in your home are higher than the EPA’s recommended action level of 4 pCi/L (picocuries per liter), then you should reduce your radon levels.
10. Regularly Check Your Radon Levels
Once you have installed a radon mitigation system, it is important to regularly check your home’s radon levels to ensure that the system works properly and that the radon levels are safely below the EPA’s recommended action level of 4 pCi/L. If your test results show that levels are higher than this, then you should contact a certified radon professional to inspect your system and make any necessary adjustments.
Why Should I Take Reduce So Seriously?
Radon is a naturally occurring, colorless, odorless gas that can be lethal when inhaled. Radon comes from the breakdown of uranium found in soil, water, and rock materials. Radon gas is found everywhere and presents a serious health risk as it is a known carcinogen. Radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking, leading to thousands of deaths annually across the United States.
Therefore, reducing radon levels in our homes is important to prevent future health implications or even death. Exposure to high radon levels can increase your chances of getting lung cancer by as much as 20%. As such, all homes with known instances of elevated radon concentrations are encouraged to install mitigation systems to reduce their levels back down to acceptable ranges. The best way to determine if your home has high levels of radon gas is to get regular tests done for its concentration. This will help you make informed decisions about how best to protect yourself from its dangers and protect the health of those living inside your home at the same time.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How quickly can radon affect you?
The amount of time it takes for radon to affect you depends on the level of radon in your home and the length of time you are exposed to it. Generally, it takes years for health effects from radon exposure to manifest. However, there is no safe level of radon; any amount of radon can be hazardous to your health.
2. Is a radon test worth the cost?
Yes, testing for radon may be worth the cost. Testing for radon is the only way to accurately determine if you have a radon problem in your home. Radon test kits are widely available and inexpensive, making it easy for homeowners to test their homes for radon. The most accurate kits measure long-term levels of radon over a period of at least 90 days.
3. Can a blood test detect radon?
No, a blood test cannot detect radon. Radon is an odorless, colorless gas that can accumulate in indoor spaces and cause health problems if not addressed. The best way to detect the presence of radon in your home is by testing the air quality with a radon detector or through a professional home inspection. If high radon levels are detected, they should be taken to reduce them.
4. Can opening windows reduce radon?
Opening windows can help reduce radon levels in a home as it helps to create air movement, allowing for the exchange of air between the inside and outside of the home. This exchange will help reduce the concentration of radon gas in the indoor areas of the home, as fresh outdoor air with lower levels of radon will be drawn into the space.
5. Where is radon most commonly found?
It’s common for radon levels to be elevated in basements, cellars, and living areas close to the ground. But it’s worth noting that significant amounts of radon can also be present above the ground floor. Radon levels can differ significantly between neighboring buildings and even vary within a single building from day to day and hour to hour.
Conclusion
Radon is a naturally occurring, colorless, odorless gas that can be deadly when inhaled. The best way to protect yourself from its dangers is to test your home for radon levels and install a mitigation system if necessary. Suppose you have questions about how to reduce radon from home. Try those above methods, and if it still doesn’t reduce your tension, then, In that case, it’s best to contact a local professional or visit the Environmental Protection Agency website for more information.