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Residential Radon and New Construction

Have you asked your home contractor about radon?

What is radon?

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that’s present in soil and rocks nearly everywhere. We breathe it in normal, safe concentrations every day. But when it is present in high concentrations, it is toxic. Exposure to high radon levels is the second-leading cause of non-smoking-related deaths every year in the United States; over 20,000 people die each year from radon-related illness.

How does radon enter homes?

Since radon is in the soil and air, every home will contain radon. It enters homes through cracks or other openings in the foundation. The pressure in your home influences this process; if the air pressure inside is greater than the soil beneath, radon stays outside. If the pressure inside is lower, the house acts like a vacuum and pulls the radon in.

Radon has been detected across all 50 states. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has worked with geologists to measure and map radon levels by county. Counties with the highest risk for elevated radon levels are Zone 1, and those with the lowest are Zone 3.

What can you do?

If you are building a home in a county where there is a high probability of elevated radon levels, talk to your builder about implementing any of the following radon-resistant building techniques:

●        Adding a layer of clean gravel beneath the concrete slab

●        Installing polyethylene sheeting above the gravel

●        Fitting gas-tight venting from the gravel layer to the roof

●        Sealing the foundation

Builders are familiar with these techniques, so it’s unnecessary to hire a special architect or contractor. What this type of system does is create a pressure barrier that prevents radon from entering the home. It’s a passive system designed to vent radon from the ground to the outside, bypassing the house.

In some situations, a passive system is insufficient to prevent the buildup of radon in a home. In these cases, active systems are installed with fans that actively pull radon gas into the vents.

Testing

At the end of the day, the only definitive way to know if your home has a radon problem is to have it tested. A residential radon inspection in Philadelphia, PA, will measure the radon levels in your home to ensure they don’t exceed safe levels. Even if you have a passive or active radon mitigation system, you should have radon monitors that will alert you to a problem and have your home professionally retested every two years.