Radon is a carcinogen and is said to probably be the leading cause of lung cancer after smoking.  Have you ever tested your home for radon? If so what next?  There is need to vent your home and reduce radon levels.  Are you aware that there are guides on how to do this?  Or that there are professionals who could assist you in case you are unsure of what to do next?

You cannot see or smell radon therefore you need special equipment to detect it.  Radon testing devices that are considered passive include; charcoal canister, charcoal liquid scintillation devices, and alpha-track detectors.  These don’t need power to function.  Continuous radon monitors and continuous working level monitors are active radon testing devices that use power.  They provide you with hourly readings as well as the average result for the period of testing.

Once you have confirmed that your house does indeed have radon and in harmful levels then you need to ventilate to reduce or get rid of the radon.  There are different methods for venting radon gas that you can apply for your specific type of house structure and areas in your home.  Some techniques actually prevent radon entry while other techniques reduce radon levels after entry.  EPA recommends the techniques that prevent radon entry e.g. soil suction.  Your type of house affects the radon reduction technique that works best.

Radon reduction techniques can be categorized by the design of the foundation.  In basement and slab-on-grade foundations; you can reduce radon by soil suction through the sub slab, drain tile, sump hole or block wall suction.

In crawlspace houses, you could cover the dirt floor with a plastic sheet of high density. Then use a fan and vent pipe to draw radon from under that sheet and then vent it out.  This method also known as sub-membrane suction is the best method for crawlspace houses.  Yet another method is depressurization whereby you draw air directly out of the crawlspace using a good fan.  You could also ventilate a crawlspace house passively by opening vents and or installing more vents. There are other radon reducing techniques that you could use including; heat recovery ventilation and natural ventilation.

Heat recovery ventilator, will increase ventilation and help to reduce the levels of radon in your home.  It introduces outdoor air and uses the heated or cooled air exhausted to cool or to warm incoming air.  This ventilator can be used to ventilate part or all of your home.  It is however most effective when used to ventilate basements only.  When there are other indoor pollutants, heat recovery ventilator can be used to improve air quality in the house.

Natural ventilation normally occurs in every house.  When you open vents, doors, and windows on the lower floors of your home; ventilation in the house is increased.  This increased ventilation mixes the indoor and outdoor air full of radon thus resulting in radon reduction.  You should note however, that once you close up the openings; radon concentrations almost always return to their previous levels within 12 hours.  This, therefore, should only be regarded as a radon reduction approach that is temporary.

There are other radon reducing techniques that you could use in any type of housing.  They include: sealing and house/room pressurization.  Much as there are a number of radon venting options; you are advised to use the best venting method for your design of house that will get rid of radon in your home.