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How will you know if you have radon? Radon is an odorless tasteless gas. The only way to know if you have radon in your home in excessive levels is to have it tested. Radon levels in homes are fairly random. One house may have a high level, and the house right next door a low one. Radon is present in the air everywhere on earth. The average outdoor air in the U.S.A. contains .4 pCi/L of radon (picoCuries of radon per liter of air) . The average indoor air in this country contains 1.3 pCi/l of radon. The EPA would like to see all homes here with a radon level under 2.0 pCi/L,; but as this has been deemed economically unfeasible, 4.0 pCi/L has become the accepted EPA action level (the radon level where action should be taken to lower it). It is estimated that 1 in 15 homes in the U.S. have radon levels above the EPA action level.
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How Dangerous is it? Radon is considered by the EPA to be the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. Only cigarette smoking is credited with causing more deaths from lung cancer. Smokers living in homes with high radon levels are at even higher risk than people who don't smoke. It is estimated that more than 20,000 deaths per year can be linked to high levels of radon in the home. Far more deaths are attributed to radon than to drunk drivers, for example, that have been so much in the spotlight lately.
Radon is a decay product in the chain of decay products from uranium, commonly found in sub-surface granite. As radon breaks down, a piece of the nucleus is released from each atom as an alpha particle, which can destroy up to 6 cells in the lung. The next step of the decay process releases two more alpha particles per atom, which do even more damage The damage can be especially serious if the areas hit by the alpha particles are especially sensitive ones. Multiply this by a hundred or a thousand atoms of radon being inhaled and you can begin to see the scope of the health risks from high radon concentrations in your home.
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     There are many instruments produced today for measuring radon. Here at AAA Radon Mitigation , we use continuous radon monitors, which give readings every hour. This feature of hourly readings helps to pinpoint the source of the radon gas. For example, if readings are higher when the furnace comes on, then we know that may be a factor. Another benefit to continuous radon monitors is that results are available immediately, whereas, with some other measuring devices, such as charcoal canisters, there is a waiting period while the device is sent to a lab to be analyzed. We do use charcoal canisters from time to time to verify the accuracy of our instruments.
     The measurement is best taken by a trained professional. There are precise instructions as to where these instruments are to be placed and how the test the test is to be conducted in order to obtain accurate and consistent results. These protocols are specified by the NEHA ( National Environmental Health Association), and approved by the EPA.
     The test is a minimum of 48 hours long. The house must be in a closed condition for 12 hours prior to the test and for the entire time of the test. This means that all doors and windows are to be closed except for normal entry and exit, and swamp coolers and whole house fans are not to be run. Operation of bathroom fans and range hood fans should be kept to a minimum.
     At the conclusion of the test, the instrument is retrieved, read and interpreted, and recommendation are made as to how to proceed. You will receive a written report including a chart of the radon activity in your home during the test period. If an average reading of 4.0 pCi/L or above is obtained, a second test is done to confirm the findings, and if the average of the two tests is above 4.0 pCi/L, some sort of mitigation will be recommended in order to bring the air quality to a safe level. If a mitigation is recommended, another test for radon is conducted after the work is completed to confirm that the mitigation has had the desired effect.
    Radon test kits can be obtained from the EPA (or often from the local Health Department) for those who would like to perform the test themselves. They are fairly inexpensive and come with instructions for their use. The main drawback is the time spent in waiting for the kit to arrive and waiting for the results to come back from the lab. This process can take several weeks. Test kits can also be obtained sometimes from the local hardware store. The problem here is that some of these kits have been on the shelf for a long time and may not provide accurate results.
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How much will it cost to get rid of it? You can never actually "get rid of " radon gas. You can only bring it down to acceptable levels. In a perfect situation, it is possible to bring the levels down to the level of the outside air. The reduction in radon in the home is accomplished by removing the air entering the house from underneath and pumping the radon laden air to a point above the eaves, where is quickly dissipates into the surrounding air. The cost varies depending on the situation. Size of the home is a factor, as well as how many obstacles there are to fit the barrier around (in a crawl space), or how many suction points will be required (in a basement). The more difficult ones (and often larger homes) may run as much as $3000.00, while a modest home requiring a simple system may cost as little as $1000.00 for materials and installation. A good "ballpark" figure is usually about $2500.00. Sometimes the radon level in a house may be brought down simply by bringing foundation ventilation up to code, for a cost of several hundred dollars. A passive system can also be an option in some cases. All our systems are guaranteed to significantly reduce radon and all estimates are free within 15 miles of Durango. The fans are guaranteed for 5 years and have an expected life of ten to fiteen years.
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   The mitigation procedures vary widely with different types of construction. Guidelines are set forth by the National Environmental Health Association, an organization that also trains people in the techniques for successful and safe (both for the mitigation contractor and the home owner alike) installation of radon mitigation systems. The NEHA is recognized by the EPA, and is authorized to provide certification and ongoing training for its members. Some of the types of radon mitigation systems are listed below.

     A sub membrane depressurization is used in homes with accessible crawl spaces. This practice consists of lining the crawl space with a very tough plastic, which is glued to the foundation wall, and then drawing the air from under the plastic through a system of piping to a fan, which pushes the air to a safe evacuation point above the house.

     A sub slab depressurization is used in homes in which the floor is made of concrete. A four inch hole is made in the slab, and air is drawn, by means of a fan, from under the slab, and drawn to a safe location above the living area, where it is discharged.

     A perimeter drain depressurization can be used in homes which have no crawl space and in cases where a sub slab depressurization might not be feasible (as in homes with heated slabs where drilling the concrete might damage the heating system). With this technique, the fan is attached by means of piping to an exterior drain tile, which pulls air from under the slab. The air is then pumped to a point above the roof and discharged harmlessly into the atmosphere.

     There are other systems used more infrequently, such as block wall depressurization, or sump depressurization, but these systems are used seldom enough that I will not discuss them at this time
     If you have questions about any of these systems and how it might apply to your home, please feel free to E-mail me.
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Our philosophy is that a radon mitigation system should not only do its job, but should also be as aesthetically pleasing as possible. Only the highest quality components are used, and great care is taken to make the system look as good as possible. A fan cover is used, and the exhaust is 3" x 4" metal downspout. All exterior parts are painted to match the house colors. All installations meet standards and protocols acceptable to the NEHA and the EPA and are guaranteed to produce an average radon level of less than 4.0 pCi/L, and usually the levels are much lower than that. It usually takes four to six days to install a system, including post-mitigation testing.
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A membrane of cross-link polyethelene is installed in the crawl space over a length of perforated hose. The membrane is glued to the foundation to make a tight seal. Then air is drawn from beneath the membrane (through the pipe at the right rear of the photo).

This photo shows the pipe from the crawl space coming through the back of the fan housing backing plate and into the fan.

This is how a finished system looks . The cover is painted and put in place, exhaust extends to a point at least ten feet off the ground. All exterior parts are painted to match house colors.


AAA Radon Mitigation
P.O. Box 1942, Durango, CO. 81302
(970) 259-0530			(970) 759-9395

	Measurement	System Pics		How dangerous is it?
	Mitigation			How do I know if I have radon?
	Philosophy	Installation Process		How much will it cost to get rid of it?