Radon is a metallic element in gas form. This gas can be very harmful, particularly because it breaks down into tiny particles which can get lodged in the human lungs. The particles are radioactive and hence can easily lead to lung cancer. However, not all people who are exposed to the gas risk getting cancer but the risks remain high. Unfortunately, it can be hard to tell about the existence of gas when buying your home. The amount of radon present varies from home to home and others don’t suffer at all.

This gas is usually naturally present in the soil and the ground on which your house is built could be the source of the gas in your house. A radon pathway or source in the home increases the danger of the gas. It can also find its way into your home through a well water supply. However, waterborne radon is considered to be lower in risk compared to the gas that enters from the soil below the house. In every case, you might require radon mitigation services to remain safe in your own home.

Radon mitigation is the process used in lowering the radon concentration in given areas. Gas removal is done in different ways depending on the levels of the gas and the source of the gas. What is suitable for one house might not be suitable for another; hence the a great need to ensure you get what your home deserves to maintain safety and health standards. Radon mitigation professionals can advise further, but you must also choose the services with care.

Licensing – It is one of the most important factors to check on when hiring mitigation services. The situation is serious and hence you should ensure you have licensed professionals with the know-how in handling the gas and removing it to be comfortable in the end that your home is safe enough. Only qualified professionals are licensed and hence quality services are delivered.

Removal techniques – A good service provider should be in a position to offer good removal solutions with the right removal techniques. Depending on the gas levels and source, you should enjoy techniques that fetch you the desired results in the end. By looking at the service options including the radon mitigation systems the company offers, you will be in a position to decide how good it is going to be in offering the solutions you deserve in your home.

Reputation – You can easily tell how reliable a service provider is from reviews or feedback from past service users. An easy way of finding the best services for your needs is by asking for referrals from your friends or other homeowners who have had mitigation services and experiences before. Referrals and recommendations will also help you stay away from providers who don’t have much to offer you. If checking online, go through the reviews to find the best. It is also important to consider the service charges concerning what you stand to gain.

Radon And Radon Testing

Radon is a radioactive, colorless, odorless gas that occurs as a natural byproduct of the radioactive decay of uranium and radium. Their child, radon, contributes a significant part of normal background radiation that is present all over the earth. Small amounts of these radioactive elements may be found in the rocks of the earth – particularly in some granites and shales, in the soil, and groundwater.

Radon is the heaviest of the noble gases – about eight times denser than normal air. Because of this, it tends to accumulate in low-lying and confined areas. There, it can build to concentrations high enough to be regarded as a potential health risk.

Radon – Does It Matter?

Statistics suggest that prolonged radon exposure is a contributing factor in 20,000 lung cancer deaths per year in the United States alone. The Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States – behind smoking. Smokers and small children are considered to be more at risk when it comes to radon exposure. Statistics also show that exposure to radon causes more annual deaths than drunk driving, drowning, and home fires.

While no amount of radon exposure can be considered 100% safe, we will always have some exposure to a low level of background radon radiation. While the amounts of radon vary by geographic area, the national average concentration of outdoor radon is about 0.4 picoCuries per liter (pCi/L) for the United States. Ideally, radon levels inside a home should be the same as outdoors, but these results are difficult to achieve. The average indoor radon concentration is 1.3 pCi/L.

Currently, the EPA recommends that radon levels exceeding 4.0 pCi/L be lowered by installing a radon removal system.

How Do We Know If We Have Radon Problems?

There are several methods of testing for radon. While there are some very elaborate, electronic, high tech and expensive devices which can monitor radon levels continually, most radon tests utilize some form of collector that gathers the radon effects over days, weeks, or even months. Ventilation and external factors such as rain can affect radon levels on a short-term basis. Radon levels in a home can fluctuate from day to day, even from hour to hour. Sometimes longer-term or repetitive tests may be necessary to get the most accurate results.

Given the skill required to make an accurate assessment, the low cost and reliability of an unbiased, professional, qualified radon tester is a good investment. For a homeowner or a home seller wanting to put a house on the market, a long-term test is recommended to give a good indication of the average radon level over time. Likewise, a home buyer wants the assurance that a house is free from dangerous radon levels but requires faster results using a short-term test.

Whichever methods are used, remedial action should be taken if repeated or long-term radon levels exceed 4.0 pCi/L.

And Then What Should We Do?

The majority of methods for mitigating radon in a home have to do with preventing or reducing radon’s entry into the home.

Some common remediation methods include:

• Sealing cracks and penetrations (such as those for pipes) in areas of the home that are below grade;
• Installing a plastic barrier over the crawlspace floor and providing a vent pipe for radon gases to escape;
• Coring a hole in the basement slab and installing a vent pipe and blower to pull radon gas from underneath the slab and discharge the gas safely outside.

Many newer homes have been built with techniques that help to lessen radon accumulation. Still, this should not be regarded as making them radon-proof. And many older homes were built before any awareness of radon or methods to mitigate it. It is estimated that 7-8% of the homes in the United States have elevated radon levels and present a long-term risk to inhabitants.

Often, the cost of radon remediation is insignificant when compared to the potential risks associated with radon exposure.

Instances of radon gas in homes are serious health and safety issues. Professional radon contractors can accurately detect radon levels in your home and, if they find a problem, can implement a radon mitigation solution appropriate to the situation.

Radon is a heavy gas created by the breakdown of uranium and is present in homes throughout the United States. Most of us have heard about radon gas and the danger it poses, but few people take appropriate steps to accurately evaluate or address the issue. This is large because radon is not visible or tangible-it’s easy to ignore that there might be a problem. Nonetheless, radon is a danger, especially in parts of the country designated as “red zones” by the EPA. The only way to truly know if radon is an issue in your home is to employ a professional to thoroughly test the property. If they do find elevated radon levels, these experts will be able to work with you to design a radon mitigation system specifically for your home, dissipating the gas and making your home safe in the long term.

The presence of radon gas in your home should be a serious safety concern. Radon usually seeps into buildings through the ground. A low level of radon is harmless, but if the radon gets trapped inside, the level becomes more concentrated and can contribute to the development of lung cancer, as well as cause harm to children’s developing lungs. There are some DIY radon detection kits on the market, but these products can be difficult to use effectively and are unlikely to provide complete detection service. If you are serious about doing radon testing, you should locate a radon contractor in your area. These professionals have the tools, experience, and expertise to evaluate your entire home with appropriate detection equipment. Not only will they be able to find out if radon is an issue, but they will also be able to accurately tell you in what concentration it is present.

If you find out that your home does contain dangerous levels of radon, your local radon contractors will also be able to safely and effectively address the problem. Each home and each radon occurrence is different, so your radon mitigation plan must be tailored to your specific situation. With hands-on knowledge and experience at their disposal, radon experts will be able to design a radon abatement program that targets the exact problem present in your home. The primary component of most radon mitigation systems involves locating the entry point for the radon (often at the basement level). The radon contractors then create a seal between the ground and your home and install a pump to vent the radon out into the atmosphere where it can dissipate. Radon experts will be able to perform such services completely and effectively, ensuring long-term protection for you and your family.

Nothing is worse than knowing that there is a potential danger in your home, like radon gas, that you can’t see and can’t fix. Call on professional radon contractors to ease this worry. They will be able to perform the necessary radon test to find out if radon levels are dangerous in your house. If there is a problem, they’ll be able to eradicate it and make your home a haven once again.