types of radon mitigation system installation in idaho falls

Types of Radon Mitigation Systems in Idaho Falls and How They Work

Posted on by Teton Radon Services

Radon is a Class A carcinogen that puts you and your loved ones at risk of lung cancer if left to accumulate in your indoor air environment. If you have tested your property and found elevated levels of radon, it is critical to commence radon mitigation right away. 

In Idaho Falls, property owners have access to several radon mitigation systems. However, it’s essential to understand that your property’s foundational design significantly influences the type of radon mitigation system you’ll install.

Homes With Basements or Slab-on-Grade Foundation

For homes with a basement or slab-on-grade foundation, any of the following radon mitigation systems can help to reduce radon levels.

1. Active Sub-Slab Suction

This is the most effective and highly preferred radon reduction method for many property owners in Idaho Falls. To begin, the first step is installing one or more suction pipes through the floor slab to pull air into the crushed rock or underneath the soil and capture it before it enters the building. Next, a vent fan connected to the suction pipe draws the radon up for safe redistribution outdoors.

2. Passive Sub-Slab Suction

This system is relatively similar to the active sub-slab suction system; however, the only difference is that it depends on natural pressure differentials and air currents instead of a fan to draw the radon from beneath the slab and into the outdoor environment.

3. Sump Pump Suction

In addition to, or moreover, adding a radon suction pipe to the sump pump in the basement and capping it not only drains unwanted water away from the property but also reduces the levels of radon.

4. Block Wall Suction

This is the most preferred system for basement homes with hollow block foundation walls. Firstly, a sub-slab suction is inserted into the hollow walls to draw air, which, in turn, increases pressure on the wall and ground, effectively trapping radon gas.

Homes With Crawl Spaces

These are the most preferred radon mitigation systems for homes with crawl spaces in Idaho Falls.

1. Crawl Space Encapsulation

This method involves air-sealing the crawl space with a high-density sheet to guarantee quality and effectiveness. Additionally, a perforated pipe is installed under the sheet and connected to a suction fan that draws moisture and radon away from the property.

2. Crawl Space Ventilation

Ventilating a crawl space actively, on the other hand, or passively reduces the suction in the soil and dilutes the radon concentration beneath the property. Active ventilation refers to the use of a fan to blow air into the crawl space instead of relying on natural circulation. In contrast, passive ventilation is achieved through opening venting units to allow air circulation.

Get a Quality Radon Mitigation System in Idaho Falls With Teton Radon Services

For a quality radon mitigation system that will provide effective results, look no further than Teton Radon Services. We offer unrivaled radon mitigation services for homes and businesses in Idaho Falls. This process involves installing the right mitigation system based on the property design and remodeling the property’s interiors and exteriors to ensure it blends in perfectly. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.

radon testing services

What To Do After Exposure to Radon

Posted on by Teton Radon Services

You’ve finally heeded the rallying call to test your home or commercial building for radon. To your surprise, you find that the levels are dangerously high above the recommended EPA exposure levels of 4pCi/L. Now your biggest concern is what steps you need to take now that you may have been exposed to radon.

Fortunately, there are practical measures you can take after exposure to radon. 

1. Conduct a Professional Radon Test

Getting a certified radon testing professional to conduct radon testing in your home or commercial space is important to confirm that there is an actual problem. Radon levels tend to fluctuate depending on the weather and seasons and continuous monitoring can help to confirm the extent of exposure to radon.

2. Get a Medical Checkup

Radon is responsible for almost half of all human radiation exposure which can cause serious health complications. When inhaled, the gas decays into solid particles that damage lung tissue, and over time, it could lead to lung cancer.

A healthcare professional will assess you to determine whether you’ve suffered any ill effects due to radon exposure. Some individuals in the population are often at a higher risk of suffering serious health complications. They include:

  • Pregnant Women
  • Children
  • Smokers 

If you or any of your family members or employees have acquired a respiratory condition, the healthcare provider may consider further testing or referring them to a specialist for further treatment.

3. Professional Radon Remediation

One of the critical recommendations that the healthcare provider will emphasize is reducing the radon levels in your home or commercial building. Remediation may include DIY tasks like opening windows and doors or installing fans to increase ventilation. But these measures are not enough to guarantee lower radon levels.

The EPA recommends hiring a qualified radon mitigation contractor. A radon professional will install the right mitigation system depending on the size and design of your property. Most radon mitigation systems consist of a fan and a vent pipe that collects the radon gas and directs it outside your property. Radon experts will also undertake other measures such as sealing foundation cracks and any other openings to provide a complete mitigation system that can reduce the radon levels.

4. Fix Your Ground Water System

If you’re concerned about the high levels of radon in your groundwater system such as a private well, you need to fix it as well. A radon expert may suggest installing a point-of-entry mitigation system like a granular activated carbon (GAC) filter or an aeration system to remove radon from the water before it enters your property distribution system. 

5. Retest Your Property

Radon is colorless, tasteless, and odorless and that’s what makes it extremely dangerous. To keep your loved ones safe from radon exposure, it’s important to install a radon mitigation system. However, even with a mitigation system in place, you need to continue retesting your property to ensure that the radon levels are in the safe range. 

Contact Teton Radon Services for Quality Radon Testing Services

For professional radon testing services, contact Teton Radon Services. We have the right knowledge, skills, and cutting-edge equipment to give you the most accurate radon testing possible. Call us today to schedule a consultation. 

How to Protect Your Home From Radon

Posted on by Teton Radon Services

We all want to protect our loved ones from any potential threats and radon ticks all the boxes. It’s a silent killer that causes the highest lung cancer cases among non-smokers.

But what can you do when the deadly gas is colorless, odorless, and tasteless? The good news is, you can take some smart steps to mitigate this threat.

Here’s what you can do to protect your home from radon.

1. Test Your Home

The first step is to confirm the radon levels in your home by taking a simple radon test. There are two types of radon testing, the short-term which takes 2 to 7 days, and the long-term test takes up to 90 days. Since weather patterns can affect the radon levels, it’s recommended that you use both methods for more accurate results. You can purchase the tests in hardware stores or call a radon expert to conduct a professional test. 

2. Install a Mitigation System

The EPA recommends installing a mitigation system for homes with radon levels of 4 pCi/L or more. You need to hire a radon professional with experience to install a mitigation system that will effectively pull out the radon from your home. 

Radon mitigation requires specialized skills and knowledge to guarantee reduced radon levels. Without specialized equipment and installation expertise, you can potentially increase the radon levels or create other costly hazards. 

There are several proven methods to remove radon, but the most popular has a vent system and fan. The vent pipe pulls radon from underneath the house and vents it towards the outdoors. 

Radon mitigation may involve making slight structural changes depending on the foundational design of your home. For a house with a basement, the suction pipe is connected through the floor slab into the soil but for a house with more than one foundation, the mitigation experts may need to connect multiple systems to achieve the best results. 

3. Increase Ventilation 

By increasing airflow into your house, you prevent radon accumulation in your indoor air. You can achieve proper ventilation by using fans and opening windows as much as the weather permits. 

However, natural ventilation is only part of the radon mitigation measures you can implement easily but a professionally installed mitigation system remains the best way to reduce radon levels in your home.

4. Seal All the Cracks 

Sealing cracks on the basement floor and walls with plaster, caulk, or epoxy can help to reduce radon levels as a short-term measure. But remember, even the best sealing efforts can miss hairline cracks that eventually lead to increased radon levels. 

5. Retest Your Home

It’s important to retest your home after installing the mitigation system and making other changes to ensure the system is working as expected. The EPA also recommends testing your radon levels every two years as part of a long-term radon mitigation strategy.

Know Your Radon Levels With Teton Radon Services

For professional radon testing services, contact Teton Radon Services. We are NRPP-certified radon experts with over 15 years of experience in radon testing and mitigation. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.

rooms prone to radon in idaho falls homes

The Rooms Most Prone to Radon in Your Idaho Falls Home

Posted on by Teton Radon Services

Radon is a naturally occurring gas that is formed from the decay of uranium and radium in rocks and soil. It moves from the ground into buildings through openings such as cracks on walls or floors and accumulates in the indoor environment.

Radon is a highly radioactive gas that’s impossible to detect because it’s colorless, odorless, and tasteless. It has far-reaching negative effects on health as it is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the country. 

To keep your family safe, it’s important to know the rooms that are more susceptible to radon in your home. This information will help you identify key areas for accurate radon testing and the right interventions you need to improve your indoor air quality.

Basement

Since radon is found in the soil, it’s only natural that the room closest to the ground would be more prone to high radon levels. Some parts of the basement will inevitably come into contact with the soil transferring the gas into the air. 

With the low pressure drawing in more air from the rocks and soil into the room and the lack of natural ventilation, the concentration levels can accumulate fast posing a big risk to your health.

Here are some of the ways radon gets into the basement:

  • Floor-to-wall joints
  • Cracks in the floor
  • Gaps in the pipes around the foundation
  • Concrete foundation
  • Sump pump pit

Crawl Space

A crawl space that has a dirt floor and is poorly ventilated exposes your home to high levels of radon gas. Since it’s largely unattended, it’s easy to forget about its potential effects on your family’s health. Keep in mind that your crawl space has utility openings that can move radon to your living space.

Cellars

Like basements and crawl spaces, cellars that are built below the ground have cooler temperatures and low natural ventilation making them one of the areas prone to radon. 

Modern cellars may have mechanized systems to control temperature, humidity, and ventilation for better functionality, but their location below the ground level would inevitably make them a potential spot for dangerous radon gas accumulation.

Ground floor

The ground floor is close to the spaces below the ground making it one of the rooms most prone to radon in your home. Although the levels may not be as high as the basement or crawl space beneath it, other factors such as the amount of time you spend in the room, weather, temperature, and the level of ventilation increase your risk of exposure.

This is not to say that radon is limited to lower levels only. A recent study has demonstrated the importance of extending radon testing to other floors in a building above the basement and ground floor for better accuracy and mitigation interventions.

Contact TRS for Radon Testing Services You Can Trust

For all your radon concerns in Idaho Falls, contact Teton Radon Services. With our extensive knowledge and cutting-edge technology, we offer superior radon testing services that you can trust to keep your family safe. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.