Basement Renovation and Radon Gas

Are you planning on doing an extensive basement renovation in the near future? It’s important to have your home tested for radon every 2+/- years as a normal home maintenance task. That said, when taking an unfinished basement and renovating to create a fabulous finished basement space where the family can hang out, a safe internal home environment is imperative.

Insulating the basement followed by installing sheetrock for walls and ceilings, sealing the foundation cracks, laying tile, laminate or even carpeting all make the space tighter. Tighter spaces means radon levels may increase as the radon gas has no way of exiting the home. Many homes bring in fresh air year round through the use of an HRV (Heat Recovery Ventilation) or an ERV (Energy Recovery Ventilation) and this can assist to reduce the radon levels.

Prior to renovation, consider having your home tested for radon. EPA action level for mitigation is 4.0pCi/L yet the EPA has concern when levels are between 2.0 and 4.0pCi/L. The WHO (World Health Organization) says to fix your home at 2.7pCi/L. If radon levels are elevated prior to renovation, install a radon mitigation system and re-test post installation and post-renovation. If the radon levels are low prior to renovation, consider re-testing post-renovation to make sure the levels have remained on the low side and if not, install a radon mitigation system.

Test Your Home…Protect Your Family!

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