What is Radon?
Radon is a radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer and is found in Utah homes that you can’t taste, smell, or see. So radon is a byproduct of uranium as it degrades in the soil, and in Utah, there’s a lot of dirt under your home that may contain uranium. As it decomposes, radon is let off and ends up in your home, typically in your basement.
How to Test for Radon Gas
Today, we’ll discuss how to protect yourself in your home from radon gas, but before we do, I want to share with you how to check the levels in your home. So the best way to know if you have radon in your home is to get a test. You can buy tests online or have radon companies test for you and take care of it.
Getting Your Radon Level Test Results
So once you get the test results back, you’ll be aware of the levels you have in your home from that particular test. One thing to remember is that the tests may be inaccurate, and the results may fluctuate over time based on weather patterns and different things happening in the environment around your home.
Installing a Radon Mitigation System
If you’re close to unsafe levels, I recommend installing a Radon mitigation system. That way, you can breathe easily and not worry about anything happening to you or your family. So once you get the test results, you can move forward from there.
High Levels of Radon Found in a Riverton, Utah, Basement Finish
Today, we want to share with you what we did in the basement finish we’re working on in Riverton, Utah, with high Radon gas levels. So we were able to mitigate the Radon gas and get it out of the basement safely so that anyone living within the home doesn’t have to worry about radioactive gas causing lung cancer.
Testing Radon Levels
Since radon comes from below the ground, we cored about a six-inch hole in the concrete and used PVC pipe to connect to it. So underneath the ground, we drill out and remove dirt to create a space where the vacuum can suck gases from beneath the home and into the pipe.
The whole pipe is pressurized with negative pressure and labeled as a Radon reduction system component; the entire pipe system is charged with a negative vacuum, running out of the home. It follows along the ceiling and continues through the house, garage, and then up to the roof, where it’s exhausted in the air outside and above the home.
1 in 3 Homes in Utah Have Unsafe Radon Levels
One quick fact about radon is that 1 in 3 homes in Utah has a high or unsafe level of radon in the home; quite a few states have a lot of radon. So it’s something you want to get checked out and make sure that you’re good to go.
Ensuring Safety in the Home
A critical part of the Radon system is the installed vacuum motor, and we put those up in the attic space so that the whole line set has a negative pressure, not a positive one. So we want the vacuum to be sucking the air out, not blowing it out; this is a benefit because if the pipe gets punctured, that will contribute additional airflow going out of the home versus pushing the air like a blower.
Another safety measure we took was to add a metal collar on the pipe to block any fire and to maintain fireproofing that the drywall otherwise would keep. So the system comes up and continues up and out through the roof.
Checking the Vacuum is Working Correctly
If you’re concerned that your vacuum isn’t pulling and working correctly, you can check the fluid sucked into it; we’re currently setting at almost a tube. So if we pull this tube out, you can hear that vacuum coming in and see that it’s balanced out at zero. So that’s how you can check and ensure that your vacuum is pulling and working correctly.
Conclusion
If you want to finish your basement or want a healthy environment to live in and spend time with your family, you can contact us to schedule a consultation. We’ll be happy to discuss your goals with your home and create a healthy environment. So thank you for your time today, and have an excellent rest of your day.
