Common Techniques of Radon Mitigation for Your Home
Radon is a radioactive, tasteless, odorless, and colorless gas that occurs naturally. It is considered to be hazardous to health because of its radioactivity. This element can accumulate inside structures, particularly in confined spaces, such as basements and attics. Because of its dangerous nature, it is crucial to hire a specialist to take care of this matter before you purchase a home in Arlington real estate.
Levels of radon gas can be reduced by means if mitigation, which is a process that moderates or makes the gas less critical. There are various methods of radon mitigation; some keep the gas from going inside the house, while the other techniques lower the levels once it is inside.
According to the recommendation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency or EPA, radon mitigation techniques are required to be utilized if the level of the gas in the home reached more than 4 pCi/L or 0.02 working levels (WL).
Some of the most commonly used radon mitigation techniques include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. Soil Suction – This technique is carried out by means of extracting radon gas from underneath the house and then venting it out through pipes.
2. Sealing Openings and Cracks – In general, if this method is used alone, it cannot reduce the levels of radon. Sealing is usually utilized to support the other types of methods and make them more efficient, since it only restricts the flow of the radon gas inside a home and lowers the loss of air that has already been conditioned.
3. House Pressurization – This type of mitigation method makes use of a fan to create differences in pressure that assist in preventing the gas from going in the house.
4. Heat Recovery Ventilator or HRV – A method that uses this system increases ventilation by making use of the cooled or heated air being utilized to cool or warm the air entering inside. This heat recovery ventilator system is most efficient when it is utilized to circulate the air in the basement only. The expenses of cooling and heating will most probably increase if this is used.
It is possible that the radon gas in the homes comes from the water supply. If this is the case, you do not need to worry because there are means to fix this problem. There are available treatments that get rid of radon from the water before it goes into the home; such remedies use aeration devices or charcoal filters. The other techniques utilize point-of-use devices in which the gas is eliminated at the valve, so it would not be consumed. However, such tools do not reduce radon in unfiltered valves, such as tubs, laundry areas, and showers. This may possibly make the levels of radon gas remain high in the air inside the house.
If you are purchasing a property among the available Arlington homes for sale, its advisable to get a mitigation contractor to inspect for radon in the home. Once it is detected, as well as how it enters, the contractor will give a recommendation on the radon reduction system that will best suit the house. Installing such systems may cost from $1,000 up to $2,500.