When a homeowner has gone through the proper testing procedures, and found that his or her home has high levels of radon gas, the next step will be to call a professional to install a radon mitigation system. Often, the installation of the unit will start in the basement, where the radon gas typically enters the home. The system will be designed to reduce the overall concentration of radon to an acceptable level for humans to breathe.
There are two basic types of the radon mitigation system. The first uses an array of ducts placed under the floor in the basement, or under a radon shield in the crawlspace. These ducts collect the gas as it is released from the soil beneath the house. A fan is then used to collect the radon from these ducts, and pump it out to a pipe that ends above the roofline of the house. This version of the system is relatively efficient at reducing the amount of radon in a home, though it does not eliminate the problem completely.
A better, and more expensive, version of the radon mitigation system, however, can completely eliminate the harmful gas. The installation of this system begins by inspection all surfaces of the basement walls and floors for damage and leaking joints or cracks. These areas are repaired and sealed with a special compound that is based on liquid rubber. A special paint is then applied, which is also rubber-based and is designed to transform the porous surface of the concrete walls and floor into a large rubber seal. When completed properly, this system will not only eliminate radon, but it will also eliminate water from the basement, making it ready to be finished for extra living space.
Installing either version of the radon mitigation system will make the home much safer to live in, because high concentrations of radon gas have been known to cause lung cancer, due the radioactive nature of the gas.
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