What is radon?
Radon is a cancer causing radioactive gas that comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water. Radon typically moves from the ground through an entry point(s) in your home and into the air you breath. Radon is sightless, odorless, and tasteless. When you breath air containing radon, you increase your risk of getting lung cancer. The only way to know if your home has high levels of radon is to test for it.
Helpful resources
Here are some helpful resources:
EPA Home Buyer's & Seller's Guide to Radon
Tennessee is a high risk zone
The EPA has organized radon risk into three different tiers based on predicted average indoor radon levels. The majority of counties within east Tennessee are considered zone 1. Zone 1 means that the average home will have a radon reading above 4.0 PCi/L. If a home has a reading above 4.0 PCi/L then the EPA recommends mitigation.
How do you know if you have high Radon levels?
Radon has many ways to enter a home but the only way to know if it is a problem for your home is testing. We have a 48 hour continuous radon monitor that we set within the home that gives us an accurate reading of the radon levels. Once we set the device we can tell if it has been tampered with or unplugged. After at least 48 hours of closed house conditions we download the data. If the reading for the home is above the EPA recommended levels then the next step is mitigation.
My Home has high radon levels. what now?
If your home has been tested with high radon levels then next step is mitigation. The most common type of mitigation is an active soil depressurization system. A very simple lists of steps are:
The radon professional will drill a hole through the slab of your home.
Next they will install piping with a fan that runs continuously. The professional should make sure to seal any possible radon entry points that can be seen including the hole drilled through the slab.
Once the mitigation has been completed the home should be tested again after 48 hours to ensure proper functioning.
All homes are different and codes vary accordingly. The above steps are very rudimentary and may not be specific to your home.