Keeping Your Home Safe After Radon Mitigation

Radon is an odorless, tasteless, carcinogenic gas. Too much exposure to radon can cause serious health issues for your family or roommates. If you discover high radon levels in your home, it’s important that you get radon mitigation.

After you’ve hired radon mitigation specialists, you’d probably like to avoid going through the process again. While their work is designed to reduce the radon levels in your home, it’s best to ensure the levels have gone down enough to be safe for the long term. Your radon mitigation system needs to be retested after it’s installed. This will ensure your radon levels are safe for a human dwelling.

Here’s what you should know about the post-mitigation and radon retesting process.

Radon mitigation systems

After your home was initially tested for radon, you should have hired radon mitigation specialists to reduce the radon levels. This involves installing a radon mitigation system. After the installation, it’s a good idea to have your specialist walk you through the system and show you how it should be used and maintained.

When the system is installed, there are a few things you should look for. First, the exhaust vent for suction systems needs to be vented above the roof, and at least 10 feet away from any doors and windows. Next, the mitigation system fan should remain on at all times—this will help reduce the radon levels in your home. The equipment itself should be clearly marked with visible labels. This ensures that any contractors doing work in your home will steer clear of interfering with the unit.

Finally, your mitigation system should have indicator lights or a visual display that lets you know when a malfunction has occurred. This will make it clear when you need to call repair technicians—and that your home may not be safe in the meantime.

Retesting after radon mitigation

Once you’ve installed your radon mitigation system, it’s important that you retest your home for radon levels within 30 days. This will make sure your mitigation system is working properly, and the gas levels are low or nonexistent.

Although your mitigation specialist may test their equipment afterwards, it’s always best to have a third-party inspector test for radon levels. As long as your home meets the EPA standards (below 4.0 pCi/L), you’re in the clear. After that, you should retest about once every two years.

Keep in mind that your radon levels may go up without you realizing it. Not only will you not be able to tell, since it’s odorless, colorless and tasteless, but the ground can shift under your home without you realizing. This allows radon to permeate your home, and you’ll be none the wiser.

If you’re buying a home, consider making radon testing and mitigation one of the conditions of purchase—and be sure to test for radon levels every two years afterwards.

If you have questions about testing after radon mitigation, we have answers and recommendations. Call Active Mold Control LLC today to arrange a consultation.

Categorised in: Radon Services

This post was written by Writer