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 system, whether installed professionally or as a DIY. Some people just prefer to do things themselves, and enjoy the challenge, while others just want to save some money by doing it on their own. No amount of radon is safe, so the less exposure you and your family have, the better, regardless of how you go about it.
Over my 600+ successful radon mitigation system installations I have develop a DIY Guidebook for those that insist on doing it themselves. Granted this is not how a professional would or should install a radon mitigation system, but it guides a homeowner through a process that I feel gives the greatest chance of success, without the expensive diagnostic tools that the pros use. Along with the DIY Guidebook I have also developed a DIY Kit that includes all the essential and hard-to-source parts that are crucial to a successful radon mitigation system. The greatest DIY success will likely be in a standard detached home built in the last 30 years or so. Homes with additions to the footprint, ICF or wood foundations, load-bearing walls, crawl spaces, channel drains, and some split-levels should probably be left to the pros.
Using common tools with pipe and fittings available at your local “big-box” home improvement store, combined with the radon mitigation essentials in the DIY Kit, you have everything you need to get started. The whole process will take a day or two and the end result can be very rewarding.
The basic premise behind a radon mitigation is to collect all the soil gas (radon) below the basement slab and vent it to the atmosphere before it can enter the home. This requires a hole through the basement slab and a hole through the sidewall of the house connected with pipe and a specialized inline radon fan. If you have some basic construction knowledge and skill with tools, you can quite likely have great success with this DIY project.
Please check out the RADONreduction online store for the DIY Radon Mitigation Guide, DIY Kit, and other DIY essentials. Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.
