If you have been researching radon gas, you are already familiar with what it is. A radioactive gas that is produced when uranium decays in soil and rocks. Because the foundation of your home is surrounded by soil, radon can enter your home and become a health risk. In fact, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US, and here’s a scary number… 1 in 3 homes in Utah have high radon levels. So what can be done? Radon mitigation or reduction is the only way to significantly reduce the radon levels in your home. As you are researching this you may hear of both passive and active radon reduction. So which system do you want to remove radon and protect your family?

Passive Radon Reduction System

This is a system that is installed before the foundation of the home is even laid. This is more cost effective to install during the building process, and some Utah builders do these automatically. If you are building a home, be sure to talk to your contractor or builder before the foundation is poured if you want to install a passive radon system. A passive radon system can help reduce radon levels by about 50%. If a home is uilt on soil that is high in radon, you may need to upgrade to an active system. We recommend testing the home for radon after building is complete.

Active Radon Reduction

If you have a passive system installed but still have high levels of radon, it is easy to upgrade to an active radon reduction (or mitigation) system. It just involves hooking up the fan to create that active suction.

If you do not have a passive system installed, an active radon reduction system is recommended. Radon and other soil gases are drawn indoors primarily by the lower air pressure in the house compared to that of the soil.  To reduce radon-bearing soil gas from entering the house, a small fan (with associated piping) can be used to withdraw radon directly from the soil. This is an active system. There are two main kinds of systems that are dependent on your home.

1. Sub-Membrane Depressurization (crawl space):
   A radon control technique designed to achieve lower air pressure in the space under a soil gas retarder membrane laid on the crawl- space floor, relative to air pressure in the crawlspace, by use of a fan-powered vent drawing air from beneath the membrane.
2. Sub-Slab Depressurization:
   A radon control technique designed to achieve lower sub-slab air pressure relative to indoor air pressure by use of a fan-powered vent drawing air from beneath the concrete slab.

Whether you are building , buying or just want to ensure your families safety in your current home, we can help. Call our radon experts at 801-871-0715 to get started today.