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Radon Reduction: How to Get Radon Out of Your House

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Since radon is in the form of gas, it can quickly enter your home through your house’s foundation. It can also pass through the cracks and sealings of your home. Therefore, you need to think of the most effective ways to prevent radon entry. There are simple radon reduction techniques that you can follow, but if the radon level in your home is too high, it would be best to call for radon experts’ advice.

It All Starts With Radon Testing

Whether you think your home has radon or not, it is still recommended to conduct radon testing. Why? If you believe your home is radon-free, you can use radon testing to prove it. With the test results, you can identify the presence of the said radioactive material. If you think your house has radon, you can check its level, thus helping you address the issue through the proper radon reduction techniques. 

Radon testing has two types, short-term and long-term. It would be best to do both since each of them has its purpose. The first one is to identify the presence of radon in your home, while the latter is to monitor the gas level continuously. Since radon fluctuates, you cannot tell when the radon level is high; that is why long-term testing is vital.

5 Radon Reduction Techniques to Try at Home

If the result of radon test tells you that your home is positive for the radioactive gas, then it’s time to try the following techniques at home. Some of these can be done by yourself, while others require professional assistance.

Install special traps in the basement floor drains.

If you place traps in the basement floor drains, you can prevent the water from draining from entering the basement. This technique is also known as a backflow restrictor or a one-way valve.

Seal the tops of concrete blocks.

Concrete block walls or CMUs refers to the hollow which provides an open path from the ground/footing to the ceiling or roof system. It is vital to seal these tops using concrete to reduce radon. Know that doing so could be challenging, but you can stuff the open section with newspaper as a stopper, down about 3 inches from the top and filled with concrete to seal them off.

Hire a licensed radon contractor.

You can find DIY radon reduction techniques which apply to your home. But if a professional advise you to install a mitigation system that requires professional assistance, make sure to hire a licensed radon contractor. This way, you can ensure that the mitigation system will be installed properly.

Install a sealed cover over your sump pump.

Some homeowners often observe that the sump pump has two entry points. This includes one from the footing drain, and the other one is under the slab drain. Both of these areas can collect radon gases from the ground, so make sure to cover the sealing lid used to seal around the exit pipe.

Seal all cracks in your basement.

Radon is usually high in the basement because this gas can be found in soil. To get rid of this gas, you need to seal the cracks along the basement perimeter walls. Also, consider the following areas:

  • around posts through concrete
  • chimney
  • cracks in the concrete floor
  • floor drain
  • main electrical entry point
  • main plumbing pipe entry point
  • sump pump cover

Radon is the second leading cause of cancer in the United States. That’s why the World Health Organization, together with other health and environmental groups, encourage everyone to make each home radon-free. This is possible through radon reduction techniques which homeowners can do. If you need any help, you can contact the radon expert from your state.

3 Radon Reduction Techniques Recommended by Experts

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Radon is rampant in the United States. It is not questionable since radon is a naturally occurring gas. Although you can find it anywhere, it is still challenging to identify if your home has high radon levels because the gas is inert, colorless, and odorless. The only way to determine if your home is safe from cancer-causing gas is to test your home for radon. If the results of radon tests show that your home has high radon levels, it’s time to apply proven and cost-effective radon reduction techniques.

Why You Should Reduce Radon Now

You can find radon in the atmosphere, but only in trace amounts. This is because it disperses quickly, making it not a health issue. What makes it a primary concern is when a person is exposed to high radon levels. Breathing radon for a long time at high levels can increase your risk of lung cancer. Although exposing yourself to radioactive gas will not kill you right away, it is still a threat to human health.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, about 21,000 people die each year from radon-related lung cancer. This is why no one should overlook the possibility of exposing oneself to radon because most exposures occur inside homes, schools, and workplaces. Meaning no one is safe from the adverse effects of radon unless you make your home radon-resistant. 

You can take specific measures to reduce and control the amount of radon in your home. You can use DIY radon test kits to determine the radon levels, then apply the radon reduction techniques needed. If you want to guarantee the effectiveness of radon reduction, you can hire a licensed radon contractor. Based on the EPA guidance, radon mitigation is necessary if the radon levels are at or above 148 Bq/m3 (4 pCi/L).

Recommended Radon Reduction Techniques

Whether you are just waiting for your home to be built or already living in your dream house, radon mitigation is a must if your home has high radon levels. The following are the recommended radon reduction construction techniques from radon experts:

Heat Recovery Ventilator

Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV) is one of the most recommended radon reduction techniques that you can do. It is also known as an air-to-air heat exchanger, which can be installed to increase ventilation by introducing outdoor air while using the heated or cooled air being exhausted to warm or cool the incoming air. 

House or Room Pressurization 

Another cost-effective method of reducing radon levels is using a fan to blow air into the basement or living area. Doing so creates enough pressure at the lowest level indoors, which can prevent radon from entering the home. But before you do this, take note that the effectiveness of this technique is limited by several factors, including home construction, climate, and other appliances in the home.

Sealing

Radon can pass through the cracks and other openings in the foundation of your home. Sealing these areas is one of the approaches to radon reduction. When you seal the cracks, you can limit the flow of radon into your home. This is one of the most recommended radon reduction techniques by experts because it is more effective and cost-efficient. Not only that, but it also reduces the loss of conditioned air. 

Radon is a cancer-causing gas; that’s why as a homeowner, you should consider radon mitigation to ensure that you and your family are safe from the gas’s adverse effects. Although there are DIY radon tests and mitigations you can do, it is still advisable to ask for professional help to apply radon reduction techniques. Licensed radon contractors know what to do to make your home radon-resistant.

Can Radon Contaminate Objects?

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More and more people are becoming aware of how dangerous radon is. But it doesn’t stop health organizations from raising awareness about the adverse effects of this cancer-causing gas. Since a long time exposure to high radon levels can damage the cells in your lungs, there is a need for radon mitigation to ensure that every home in the United States is safe for each family. Radon is a naturally occurring gas that can enter your home in so many ways, leaving a question to most people, can this radioactive gas contaminate objects? If so, what are its harmful effects?

Radon in the Basement

As stated earlier, radon is naturally occurring. Although you cannot prevent its existence, you can avoid having high radon levels in your home. Since most houses in the United States have basements, homeowners should consider getting these areas tested for radon. Take note that radon can enter through the cracks seen in your floors, especially near the foundation of your home. Besides, basements are places where most homeowners keep the things they don’t often use. If you need these things one day, you might be concerned if radon has contaminated the objects stored in your basements.

If you are concerned about radon contamination in objects, you should not since radon decays quickly into non-noble products. Although the gas attaches itself to tangible things and the decay products sound alarming, radon concentrations at normal levels should not unto themselves be a cause for concern relative to the production of the decay products. Radon in objects is not a primary concern since the gas does not react very well with anything. For instance, when you breathe radon in, most of it gets breathed out without interacting with your lung tissues.

People should not be alarmed only with radon but with its decay products as well. The decay products are called radon progeny, particulates similar to small dust particles that can attach themselves to lung surfaces. These particles deliver a radiation dose from the alpha particles that the radon progeny emits. Most people are afraid of the health risk but it does not come from the gas itself but the progeny that the radon atoms turn into.

Radon Contamination in Objects

Radon can be found in objects, but people should not be afraid of it. If you conduct a radon test in your home and found out high radon levels in one area, it doesn’t mean that there are also high radon levels in the other rooms. What you can see in the objects you think are contaminated are the road progeny, which are like tiny dust particles. According to radon contractors, the amount of radioactivity associated with the progeny particles should not be more than the radioactivity associated with the radon gas parent.

Radon is a dangerous gas, but you should not panic when you find out that your home has high radon levels. This is because there are different ways on how to conduct radon mitigation. There are temporary solutions that you can apply to reduce radon levels. Once you have prepared a budget for more permanent radon reduction techniques, you can call the nearest radon contractor in your state to solve your radon problems.

radon levels

Why Do Radon Levels Fluctuate?

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Radon testing is one of the first things you need to do if you want to reduce the radon levels at your home. This process is crucial because it is the only way you can tell whether your home has high radon levels or not. You can plan on the best radon reduction techniques that will help you create a radon-resistant home through the results. However, radon testing should not only be done once because radon levels fluctuate. Meaning, radon increases or decreases depending on several factors. Why do radon levels fluctuate, and what should you do about it? Find the answers here.

The Rise and Fall of Radon Levels

Radon naturally occurs everywhere, and it is constantly changing. It can be hourly, daily, or seasonal, depending on the factors that affect its fluctuation. Radon is a cancer-causing gas, and it seeks a lower pressure area. This is why it moves from the soil to the air. It flows faster, especially if there is a big difference between the high and low air pressure. Aside from air pressure, the weather is one of the common factors that affect the radon levels at your home. The changes in weather events such as severe storms and high winds can increase or decrease radon. Take a look at the following how weather factors can cause radon fluctuation:

High winds

High winds can either create high pressure or low pressure in your home. But most of the time, high winds increase radon levels.

Rain or storm

Rain or storms can bring in lower pressure air around your home. As mentioned, radon likes lower pressure, causing it to “flow” from the soil to the air even faster than normal. If there is heavy rainfall, the ground will become more saturated with water. As a result, radon will find a path through the soil outside the home.

Snow, ice, and cold temperature

If there is cold weather, you tend to open the heater to make your home warmer. The problem is that heaters pull more radon through the building, causing radon levels to rise. With cold weather, hot air rises, and if this escapes your home, there would be new air that needs to enter your home, which usually comes from the soil.

Radon Testing: Short Term or Long Term?

It is normal for radon to fluctuate because several factors cause it. If so, what should you do? One of the best things to do is to test your home for radon to apply the radon reduction techniques that will lower the levels of the cancer-causing gas. You can follow some DIY radon reduction techniques or ask a professional radon contractor to do the work. When considering radon tests, you need to decide whether to opt for short-term or long-term radon testing.

Short-term radon testing is recommended if you want to have a quick check if there are high radon levels in your home right now. With these tests, you can take action to decrease the radon levels. However, long-term radon testing is still needed to monitor radon levels in your home and ensure you are safe from the adverse effects of radon.

Radon is everywhere, and you can’t tell whether you are safe from it or not. That’s why radon testing is a must for you to create a radon-resistant home, keeping your family and loved ones safe from cancer-causing gas. Short-term radon tests can help you, but it is a long-term radon test that can help you monitor radon levels in your home.

The Health Concerns of Radon

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Have you ever wondered why there are people who get lung cancer even if they are nonsmokers? Aside from second-hand smoking, other factors can lead to this disease. The worst thing about it is you cannot see, touch, or even smell it. This invisible enemy that can damage your lungs and affect your healthy body is radon, one of the radioactive gases. The World Health Organization considered radon as the second leading cause of lung cancer; that’s why people need to be careful about it. In this article, learn more about the health concerns of radon and what preventive measures you can do at home to avoid this cancer-causing gas.

What Radon Can Do to Your Body

Some people lack understanding about the adverse effects of radon. They don’t know how dangerous this radioactive gas is. Know that radon is everywhere, it can be at your home, school, or even in the workplace. Some areas might have high radon levels, while others might have small traces of it. That’s why radon testing is necessary because it helps you identify the radon levels in the places you have tested for this gas. Suppose there are high radon levels; what can it do to your body?

According to a 2019 study, Health Effects of Radon Exposure, it is scientifically proven that radon exposure can cause lung cancer. That’s why mass media and related experts need to communicate accurate information to the general public. This way, people will have access to the necessary information they need to combat the cancer-causing gas.

Even the United States Environmental Protection Agency states that although radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer, it is the number one cause among nonsmokers. It has been responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year, and almost 3,000 of these deaths occur among people who have never smoked in their lives. To advise the general public on the health concerns of radonm health experts have issued a national health advisory on this radioactive gas.

Why Radon is More Dangerous to Smokers

Smokers have a high risk of lung cancer and make the risk higher when exposed to high radon levels. According to the EPA, this is because of the synergistic effects of radon and smoking. For instance, about 62 people in a 1,000 will die of lung cancer, compared to 7.3 people in 1,000 for never smokers. But a person who never smoked who is exposed to 1.3 pCi/L has a 2 in 1,000 chance of lung cancer. On the other hand, a smoker has a 20 in 1,000 chance of dying from lung cancer.

Radon Reduction Techniques

Suppose you have conducted radon testing and you found out that there are high radon levels in your home; here are some radon reduction techniques to consider:


1. Crack sealing – When you seal the cracks, you limit the flow of radon into your home, which makes other radon reduction techniques more effective and cost-efficient.

2. House or room pressurization – This method requires a fan to blow air into the basement or living area. Doing so creates enough pressure at the lowest level indoors.

3. HRV – A heat recovery ventilator, also known as the air-to-air heat exchanger, can increase ventilation, reducing the radon levels in your home.

4. Natural ventilation – You may open your windows, doors, and vents on the lower floors to increase the ventilation in your home.

Radon is a harmful radioactive gas that takes the lives of many people, both smokers, and nonsmokers. If you want to lower your risks of lung cancer and avoid the other health concerns of radon, you need to act immediately and ensure that your home is free from this cancer-causing gas. You may follow the radon reduction techniques mentioned here or hire a professional radon contractor to help you.

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What to Do If Radon Levels are High

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Radon levels determine the amount of radon present in your home. The safest radon level is zero, but it is pretty challenging to keep it at zero level unless your home was built with radon reduction construction techniques since it is naturally occurring. Besides, radon levels may vary from time to time, so it is recommended to test your home for radon. And if the radon levels are high, you need to reduce them as soon as possible. In this article, learn some radon reduction strategies that can provide both short-term and long-term benefits.

Radon Testing

One of the first things you need to do before doing any radon reduction technique is radon testing. Doing so allows you to tell if your home has high radon levels. There are several ways to test your home for radon, including short-term and long-term testing. Suppose you are in a hurry; you can measure radon for two to three days. For a short-term test, it is recommended to keep your doors and windows closed as much as possible. This way, you can avoid the fans from bringing air from outside. You may use the following devices for short term radon testing:

  • alpha-track detectors
  • charcoal canisters
  • charcoal liquid scintillation detectors
  • continuous monitors
  • electret ion chambers

Since radon levels might change from day to day or month to month, it would be best to opt for long-term radon testing. This is because, according to radon experts, you’ll get the most accurate results from this kind of test. Long-term radon testing measures radon levels for more than 90 days, including alpha-track and electret ion chamber detectors.

Radon Reduction Techniques

Once you have completed a radon test, it’s time to assess whether your home has high radon levels or not. And suppose the level is high, here are some radon reduction techniques that you can do.


1. Create a gas-permeable layer that is beneath the slab or flooring. Doing so allows the radioactive gas to move under your house. However, this technique only works if you have a basement or slab foundation.

2. Install a plastic sheeting that goes on top of the gas-permeable layer under the slab. With this technique, you can prevent radon from entering your home.

3. Install a soil suction radon reduction system. It is also called a vent pipe and fan system. With this radon reduction technique, you can keep the gas from accumulating inside your home.

4. Seal and caulk the foundation cracks and openings. Doing so helps reduce the amount of radon entering your home.

If you test your home for radon and the radon levels are high, it is recommended to try the above techniques and see if they will work for your home. If you find it challenging to fix the radon issues, you may hire a radon contractor. The EPA recommends that you have to hire a qualified radon mitigation contractor to improve your home because it may need a radon mitigation system installed. You may contact your state radon office for a list of licensed radon mitigation professionals in your area.