Ensuring You Have a Radon Resistant Home

Radon is a toxic substance formed by the decay of uranium in soil. It happens throughout the globe and normally it isn’t a risk. It dissipates in the air and no one is the wiser. However, when we started building houses and closing them off to the outside world with closely fitting windows, insulation and concrete foundations, radon became a problem.

Because it rises from the soil naturally and can enter your home through cracks in your foundation, a sump pit or a crawlspace, it is a very real danger for many homeowners. Worse yet, there are no specific risk factors you can watch for when buying a house. Any home can high radon levels, regardless of where it is located. So, it is important to build radon resistant homes to combat the problem. It costs only $350-$500 to build radon resistance into a new home versus upwards of $2,500 to add it to an existing home.

What Does Radon Resistance Incorporate?

There are a number of factors to take into account when retrofitting a home or building a new one to block radon from entering. The following features are used to vent the gas from the basement and ensure it doesn’t enter the home at any point.

• Gas Permeable Layer –A four inch layer of gravel or other permeable material is placed beneath the slab or flooring of a non-crawlspace house. This allows the radon gas to permeate throughout the soil, not just straight up into your home.
• Sheeting – A plastic sheet is then placed above the permeable layer to block the gas from entering your home and force it away from the house toward the open air where it dissipates naturally.
• Sealing – All openings and vents from the soil are closed with caulking and sealant. This requires a careful inspection of the space, especially if you have an existing home that needs to be sealed against the radon gas.
• Venting Pipe – a pipe is placed from the layer of soil beneath your slab or flooring to vent excess gas up and away from your home through the roof.

When combined, these features reduce how much radon can enter your home and ensure when it does it gets vented out quickly so it doesn’t cause any health problems for you and your family. Proper testing is a must before any upgrades are made, so call a local air quality inspector near you today.