The awareness of radon danger and health risk has been growing steadily in Canada over the past the decade or so. With this increased awareness, provisions for radon mitigation have been added to the National Building Code and have been included in new construction since 2016. New houses, commercial buildings, and even many additions to…
The idea behind a radon mitigation system is to create a negative pressure, or vacuum, underneath the concrete floor (slab) of your basement and vent the soil gas to the atmosphere before it can enter the breathing space of your home. To do this, a hole is usually made through the slab to create the…
Can you successfully install a radon mitigation system as a do-it-yourself? Yes! Often at least. As a C-NRPP certified radon mitigation and radon testing professional I would prefer (and recommend) that you hired me of course, but you can probably do it too. I believe that everyone with high radon should have a radon mitigation…
Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers and never-smokers, and has been shown to kill over 3200 Canadians every year. Radon combined with smoking is even worse! Radon gas cannot be detected through human sense as it is odorless, tasteless, and invisible. THE ONLY WAY TO KNOW THE RADON LEVEL IN YOUR…
You can’t seal radon out of your house, but you need to seal your house to keep radon out! Let me explain: Radon is an inert gas and can find a way into your house regardless of how well it is sealed. Gaps, cracks, holes, and other open penetrations through the slab make it much…
Yes, you read that right, some basements (and crawlspaces) are dirt! This is much more common in homes built a hundred years ago, but can be found in newer homes as well. I have successfully mitigated homes with dirt basements and dirt crawl spaces in and around Calgary and Crowsnest Pass. A dirt basement adds…
In the course of my radon mitigation career thus far I have had the opportunity to mitigate a wide variety of buildings. The following are some of the weirdest, and most interesting jobs that I have been a part of: Near the start of my radon mitigation career I worked for Alberta’s original radon mitigation…
Diagnostics are the most useful tool for professional radon mitigators. Without proper diagnostic equipment and procedures, one is essentially just “hoping things will work out”. Not very professional! Diagnostics allow a radon mitigation professional to ensure a successful result for their client the first time, with an effective and efficient system including correct fan sizing…
The most efficient and effective method to mitigate radon in a residential setting is through Active Sub-slab Depressurization (ASD). ASD involves creating a negative pressure (vacuum) under the basement concrete floor (slab) and continually venting the soil gas that is collected to the atmosphere where it rapidly dissipates. I like to describe it as “sucking…
I get this question a lot! I met a homebuilder at the gym back in 2015 or 2016 who began telling me about radon and the risks of long term exposure. I was very skeptical of a gas that was invisible, odorless, tasteless, and otherwise undetectable by human senses that cost a bunch of money…