A radon mitigation system is a device that helps reduce the indoor radon gas levels in your home. If you’ve recently heard about radon gas and are worried about radon in your home, this article will outline everything you need to know about radon gas, radon mitigation systems and what to expect during testing and installation.
Ready to test for radon in your home? You can purchase a simple 91-day test kit online, or contact the experts today at Radon Gas Guys.
What Is Radon Gas?
You may have heard about radon gas as awareness campaigns have become more common across Ontario and Canada in the last few years. So, you’ve heard about it, but what exactly is radon gas? Radon gas is a colourless, odourless and tasteless gas. It is radioactive, which means it emits radiation into its surrounding environment.
Radon gas is actually a naturally occurring gas found in the earth. It is found virtually everywhere in our environment. Radon gas is produced when uranium, a heavy metal found within rocks as well as the earth’s crust, begins to decay.
Over time, certain heavy metals will begin to decay. Radioactive decay is a natural part of the lifecycle of many heavy metals, including uranium. As uranium decays, it releases the radioactive radon gas. Because uranium decays underground in the earth’s crust, radon gas is emitted from the ground.
This is when radon gas can become a problem for homeowners. As radon emits from the ground, it can enter homes through basements, crawlspaces and lower levels.
Although all areas of a home can be affected, the lowest levels typically contain the highest concentration of radon gas. At high levels, radon gas can impact your health.
Radon Gas and Your Health
You might be living with high levels of radon gas in your home–do you need a radon mitigation system? High levels of radon gas exposure pose long-term risks. The biggest known risk is lung cancer. Long-term exposure to radon gas significantly increases your chances of developing lung cancer. New research is also showing other potential risks associated with radon gas exposure, such as increased risk of stroke.
In fact, radon gas is the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smoking individuals. Annually, radon gas exposure results in 3,200 deaths. To put that in perspective, car accidents result in approximately 1,900 deaths per year and carbon monoxide poisoning results in 300 deaths per year.
Radon gas is everywhere, because the earth’s crust, and therefore uranium, is everywhere. Every home in Canada is expected to have some level of radon gas in it. While there is no guaranteed safe level of radon gas exposure, the Canadian guideline for radon gas in the home is 200 Bq/m3.
If your home tests higher than 200 Bq/m3 on average, you should install a radon mitigation system. Even if your home is testing below 200 Bq/m3 but still showing elevated levels, a mitigation system can help reduce those levels even further.
You can find out if your home has high levels of radon gas in it by conducting a radon test. The test must run for at least 91 days, as radon gas levels can significantly fluctuate and a long-term test is needed for the most accurate results. You can purchase a test kit here or contact the radon experts at Radon Gas Guys to set up your test for you.
How Does a Radon Mitigation System Work?
If your radon test has indicated high levels of radon gas in your home, you may feel overwhelmed. However, a radon mitigation system is actually quite a simple system!
When you work with Radon Gas Guys to install your radon mitigation system, you will get an expertly installed mitigation system designed to reduce the radon levels in your home.
So, how exactly does it work? Well, the system is primarily made of a pipe and a fan. Because radon often enters the home through cracks in the foundation, poorly sealed windows or openings and gaps around sump pumps or in structural systems, our team will assess the situation in your home and resolve any issues we find.
Once the team has fixed any potential areas that could be allowing radon to seep into your home, we will then install the radon mitigation system. As we mentioned above, this is actually quite a simple system! It is essentially made from a pipe and fan. The system works to remove radon gas by sucking it out from your indoor space through the newly installed pipe and exhausting it outdoors with the fan.
Note: Radon gas is not dangerous outdoors. Unlike confined indoor spaces, it cannot concentrate to dangerous levels outside.
How To Install The Radon Mitigation System
Although it is tempting to do it yourself when it comes to many home projects, a radon gas mitigation system is not something that can be DIYed. Although the system is not particularly complex, the installation process must be done correctly–if not, it could actually make your radon gas problem worse.
This radon mitigation system is installed into the foundation of your home. It requires a wide range of professional tools to safely work with your foundation and not cause damage.
As well, a professional radon mitigation company like Radon Gas Guys will not only provide a thorough assessment of your home and determine the potential problem areas that could be allowing radon to seep into but also fix those issues. Without getting to the source of the issue, your home could still have high levels of radon gas even with a mitigation system.
At Radon Gas Guys, we have a 100% guarantee that our mitigation system will work. We are committed to your health and safety and will lower your radon levels below the World Health Organization recommended level of 100 Bq/m3.
How Much Do Radon Mitigation Systems Cost?
There are a number of factors that impact the final cost of a radon mitigation system. At Radon Gas Guys, we are not a "poke and hope" company (i.e. Drill a hole in your basement floor, install a fan and hope it works!)
At Radon Gas Guys, we conduct thorough onsite testing to ensure your system will work all year round, despite the weather. Outside temperature can change the stack effect on your home and affect the amount of radon that concentrates inside.
The majority of our time is testing the basement floor. Our team takes the time to seal all openings around, sump pumps, hydro entries, cracks in the floor, plumbing openings, and other potential problem areas. Because of this involved process, a completed system by Radon Gas Guys starts at $1,500 and may vary depending on the findings from our assessment.
When you choose to work with Radon Gas Guys, you aren’t only getting a radon mitigation system. We will also fix a wide range of issues that are contributing to the problem so that your levels stay low not only now, but for many years to come.
If you have recently moved into a brand new home or have purchased a home that is less than 7 years old, it is advised that you conduct a radon gas test as soon as possible. This will help to ensure that your mitigation system is covered under warranty if any issues with radon gas are detected.
Need a Radon Gas Mitigation System? Trust The Experts at Radon Gas Guys!
Learning about radon gas can feel overwhelming–and finding high levels in your home can feel stressful! At Radon Gas guys, we care about you and your family and want to help homeowners feel safe and comfortable in their homes. When you choose to work with Radon Gas Guys, you will be working with a professional company that cares about homeowners all across Southern Ontario. We are committed to keeping you and your family safe.
We have a record of excellence and ensure all of our staff are fully trained to handle all mitigation jobs. We also have a 100% guarantee that our radon mitigation systems will work. If the radon mitigation system does not reduce the levels below the Canadian standard, we always fix it at no cost to you or refund your money. We guarantee it! We always stand by our work.
If you are worried about high levels of radon gas in your home in Kitchener, Waterloo, or across Southern Ontario and are ready for radon gas removal, give us a call. We are happy to talk with you to discuss all of your mitigation options and will walk through all steps moving forward.
Rick was great to work with. The quote was quick and the job was done quick. My [radon] number averaged about 600 and I’m now down into the 20s which is perfect. He also informed me of some other issues within my house to fix.
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