Have you recently had a radon test done on your home? Did that test find that the radon levels in your home are dangerously high? If so, you don’t need to panic. There are mitigation options available to you. Installing these mitigation systems is a home upgrade, however. An upgrade that is an investment and one that can be partially seen from the outside of your home. Because of this, you may naturally wonder if radon mitigation systems are even worth it. Do they even work? Let’s see.
What Radon Mitigation Is
First things first, what even is radon mitigation? Radon seeps into your home through your foundation. It travels from the lowest part of your home up. Completely ridding your home of any radon presence is unrealistic, but you can bring radon levels back down to safe measures. To do this, piping is installed from the lowest portion of your home and then up through the roof of your home. This piping in combination with fans will guide the radon gas from the base of your home out through the roof of your home. This process will, in turn, reduce the radon levels actively in your home.
Is Radon Mitigation Really Effective?
How effective can radon mitigation really be? How big of a difference can the system really make? There are a few different types of radon mitigation system, and each has a different level of effectiveness. For one, there are passive systems. Passive systems can reduce concentrated radon levels by 30-70%. This can be a good option if your radon levels are on the lower end of concern. Then there are active suction systems. These can reduce radon levels by 50-99%. If you start out with a passive mitigation system, you can always upgrade to an active system with the addition of a radon fan.
Do Radon Mitigation Systems Require Maintenance?
Radon mitigation systems are designed to be extremely low maintenance. So, for the most part, you do not have to pay them much attention. But as with all things, they will degrade and function more poorly over time. The one thing that you need to keep an eye on is the fan within the system. Generally, these should be replaced or at least repaired every five years. Most systems will have a device installed with it that will alert you to failings. Completing an annual inspection of your system is also good practice.
So, what do you think? Are radon mitigation systems worth it? If you feel that they are, protect your family against dangerous radon gas by contacting Strouse Home Inspections today.
By Strouse Home Inspections 12-15-2022
