Radon Mitigation Techniques

Lowering the levels of radon gas in your home

Radon levels can usually be lowered using a process called mitigation, a term that means to moderate something or make it less severe. Some radon mitigation methods prevent radon from entering your home and others reduce radon levels after the gas has entered.

The EPA recommends you use mitigation techniques to reduce indoor radon if levels in your home are above 4 pCi/L (or 0.02 working levels [WL] if your lab uses that reporting method).

Common Radon Mitigation Methods:

Soil Suction
Draws radon from beneath the house and vents it away from the house through pipes.

Sealing Cracks & Openings
Sealing alone doesn't usually lower radon levels, but it can limit the flow of radon into a home and reduce the loss of air that's been conditioned, so it helps make other types of reduction techniques more effective.

House Pressurization
This method uses a fan to create pressure differences that help keep radon from entering the house.

Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV)
Installed to increase ventilation, HRV uses the heated or cooled air being exhausted to warm or cool the incoming air. This type of system is most effective when used to ventilate only the basement of a house. Heating and cooling costs will likely rise when this type of system is in place.

Eliminating Radon in Water

Point-of-entry treatments use charcoal filters or aeration devices to remove radon from water before it enters your home.

Point-of-use devices remove radon at the tap, so you won't ingest it. They do nothing to reduce radon in unfiltered taps, such as your tubs, showers, and laundry areas, so radon in the air may remain high.

Radon Mitigation for Existing Homes
Your mitigation contractor can offer complete details about different types of radon reduction systems. After performing tests to determine how radon is entering your home the contractor will be in a better position to recommend the "best" system for your house. Costs vary, but most systems can be installed for $1,000-$2,500.

Radon Mitigation for New Homes
If you're building a new home, now is the time to install a radon reduction system. The cost is far less than fitting a system after the home is built, and having the system in place will be a good selling point later.

The EPA offers important advice to help you find a qualified radon service professional. WWW.EPA.GOV/Radon