Radon Information

Here’s a bit of important advice: If you’re in the process of buying a home with elevated levels of radon, try to be the one to choose who installs the radon mitigation system. Request a contractor that YOU trust. Often times, the seller of the home just wants the quickest and cheapest solution to get the home sold.

If you maintain the power of who does the work, you can ensure you get a high-quality radon mitigation system that will work for a long time and maintain low levels well after you purchase the home AND be pleased with the placement of the system and how it looks on your home. Here are some tips to know when choosing a radon mitigation company:

• Use a licensed Radon contractor. IEMA (Illinois Emergency Management Agency) is the licensing body for Radon Mitigation in Illinois. IEMA is the only agency that can license a radon professional/technician.
• Experience. How long has the company been around installing radon mitigation systems? Ask who your installer will be? Inquire how long they have been licensed and how many jobs has that installer completed. You can NEVER beat experience. It will be the difference between a mediocre system and a great system.
• Is your contractor insured? Does your contractor carry workers comp insurance?
• Check out their reviews or ask for references from previous clients
• Does the contractor offer a guarantee?
• Choose local (i.e. surrounding areas). Each municipality has their own radon code compliance that can and will often contain State code PLUS local code.
• Insist on an onsite evaluation prior to installation day
• Discuss and ask to see Warranty coverage. What is covered? What is not?
• What will it look like? How long can you expect the system to perform?

Lastly, decisions shouldn’t only come down to price. Inexperience, lack of or no insurance, part time installers can and will often lead to underperforming systems, low quality installs and out of business contractors. Remember this….Are you comfortable with the company and their representatives, have they taken the time to explain the system specific to your home? Have you received a firm price and disclosures? And finally, do you LIKE them and want them in YOUR home?? Price is what you pay….Value is what you received – Warren Buffet

If you’ve found the perfect home for your growing family, and the radon test fails, don’t panic! Take a few moments to learn about radon and the dangers it poses.

Radon gas is a radioactive gas that comes naturally from the earth, not from a chemical or problem with the home itself. Radon can seep into any home that is in contact with the ground. It is undetectable unless you perform a radon test. It is the second leading cause of lung cancer and according to the EPA and CDC, it kills more than 20,000 annually. It is not something you want in the home you are buying.

How to test for radon in a real estate transaction.

• Today, many home inspectors measure radon gas, mold, lead and asbestos as an addition to their standard services. When buying a home, it’s wise to know as much about it as possible. Having these extra tests done can save you from any unexpected surprises. Radon testing in real estate typically involves a 48-hour electronic radon test. It is very important to use a licensed radon testing professional to help make sure proper procedures are followed.
• Understand what a “passing” and “failing” radon test is. The words radon test “failed” or radon test “passed” are thrown around out there. Pass/fail should not be used to determine radon safety. No level of radon is safe. The United States EPA has established the radon level of 4.0  picocuries per liter to be the action level for radon gas in homes. Meaning, take action to reduce radon levels that are greater than four picocuries per liter. But consider taking action if radon levels are between 2-4.
• Short term tests are good for real estate transactions but longer-term radon testing can also be used. Radon levels can change under different weather patterns from when the test was performed. If you are buying a home and the radon test comes back low, remember to re-test every so often to make sure that levels are low all of the time. Remember that the levels can fluctuate from time-to-time.

How to fix high radon levels.

• It’s important to know that all homes can be fixed. Radon mitigation systems and the professionals who install them can fix radon problems. Mitigation systems become permanent components of the home and will be run continuously to keep randon levels low. They do this by creating a permanent vacuum in the soil or gravel below the concrete slab or crawlspace membrane. This suction redirects the gas that’s coming from the earth, sends it through sealed ventilation pipes and the radon fan to exhaust above the eave of the home where it dissipates into the atmosphere.

You can do a couple of things here to verify the system is functioning properly. First, inspect the manometer on the radon pipe inside of the house. This will be U-shaped tube typically with red or blue dye in it. If it is showing offset, the system appears to be functioning. Second, locate the actual fan/motor unit and feel or hear that it is working. Third – TEST THE HOUSE. This will ensure that the levels are still within the “acceptable” range for radon gas.

That’s a great question and one we hear quite frequently. When you are living with a condition that you are unaware of, it’s a hard concept to understand. The answer is this ~ You must have some grounds to invalidate the radon test assuming it was done by a professional testing company. If there are no grounds to do so, then some type of radon reduction method must be performed before you can test again. And in most cases, a reduction method alone (i.e. seal the sump lid, or seal foundation cracks in the basement) is met with limited success, ultimately costing the seller more time and money.

If your house has tested elevated for radon, an active radon mitigation system is strongly encouraged. Remember, although it seems like a stumbling block, it not a reason to stop your closing.

No, the u-tube measures pressure within the system, or how hard the fan is working. The only way to get an indoor radon level is to perform a radon test.

No. IEMA (Illinois Emergency Management Agency) code states ~ If any foundation of a home test is elevated, then all accessible foundations must be treated. Why??? All foundations in contact with the soil contribute to the overall radon levels of a home. Therefore an active radon mitigation system, combined with multiple suction points (for each foundation) will reduce overall radon levels.

Although crack sealing is considered to be a passive radon technique, IEMA along with the EPA no longer endorse crack sealing exclusively as it is met with very limited success. Think of it this way, if radon could be sealed out then statistically a home with a finished basement should never test high for radon and that is simply not the case. A radon fan is needed for an active radon system to allow depressurization under your slab or crawlspace.

Yes, at least on a temporary basis. The systems function very well until extreme cold sets in and/or about 20 degrees Fahrenheit, along with consecutive days of extreme weather. Your radon system moves a lot of wet, damp air which condensates and those water droplets can and will freeze at times. Other factors that contribute to freezing include wet soil, exposure or the limit of exposure to the sun, wind etc. The manufacturer recommends – leave the system alone. It will naturally thaw itself as temperature warms and the system will then function normally again.

No. Your home actually exchanges its own air several times daily. This happens through natural convection along with the operation of your HVAC system. Therefore, occupants of a home or lack thereof, are not the reason a home test is elevated.

We’re a locally owned and operated Radon business based out of Oswego, but we proudly serve Kendall, Kane, Will, and DuPage counties. See our radon service area.