Virginia requires Certification by either the NATIONAL RADON SAFETY
BOARD (NRSB) or the NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION RADON PROFICIENCY PROGRAM (NEHA/NRPP) for all Radon
Reduction/Mitigation Systems as well as Measurement and Analysis. Please click here to view examples.
National Radon Safety Board (NRSB) Radon Measurement Specialist NRSB 7SS0015
National Radon Safety Board
(NRSB) Radon Mitigator NRSB 7G0004
National Environmental Health Association National Radon Proficiency Program (NEHA/NRPP)
Radon Measurement Provider Certification 104242 RT
Radon
Reduction Techniques Work
Fix your home if your radon level is confirmed to be 4 picoCuries per liter
(pCi/L) or higher. If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high. Radon reduction
systems work. The cost of fixing a home generally ranges from $1000 to $2,500 (with an average cost of $1,200). Your costs
may vary depending on the size and design of your home and which radon reduction methods are needed. Hundreds of thousands
of people have reduced radon levels in their homes.
Basement
and Slab-on-Grade Houses
In houses that have a basement or a slab-on-grade foundation, radon is usually
reduced by one of these types of soil suction: subslab suction, drain tile suction, or sump hole suction
Active Subslab Suction (also called subslab depressurization) is the most common
and usually the most reliable radon reduction method. One or more suction pipes are inserted through the floor slab into the
crushed rock or soil underneath. They also may be inserted below the concrete slab from outside the house. The number and
location of suction pipes that are needed depends on how easily air can move in the crushed rock or soil under the slab, and
on the strength of the radon source. Often, only a single suction point is needed.
A radon vent fan connected to
the suction pipe(s) draws the radon gas from below the house and releases it into the outdoor air while simultaneously creating
a negative pressure (vacuum) beneath the slab. Common fan locations include unconditioned house and garage spaces, including
attics, and the exterior of the house.
Passive Subslab Suction is the same as active subslab suction
except it relies on natural pressure differentials and air currents instead of a fan to draw radon up from below the house.
Passive subslab suction is usually associated with radon-resistant features installed in newly constructed homes. Passive
subslab is generally not as effective in reducing high radon levels as active subslab suction.
Some houses have
drain tiles or perforated pipe to direct water away from the foundation of the house. Suction on these tiles
or pipes is often effective in reducing radon levels.
One variation of subslab and drain tile suction is sump
hole suction. Often, when a house with a basement has a sump pump to remove unwanted water, the sump can be capped
so that it can continue to drain water and serve as the location for a radon suction pipe.
Crawlspace Houses
An effective method to reduce radon levels in crawlspace
houses involves covering the earth floor with a high-density plastic sheet. A vent pipe and fan are used to draw the radon
from under the sheet and vent it to the outdoors. This form of soil suction is called submembrane suction, and when
properly applied is the most effective way to reduce radon levels in crawlspace houses.
Another less-favorable
option is active crawlspace depressurization which involves drawing air directly from the crawlspace using a fan. This technique
generally does not work as well as submembrane suction and requires special attention to combustion appliance backdrafting
and sealing the crawlspace from other portions of the house, and may also result in increased energy costs due to loss of
conditioned air from the house.
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