The most effective way to get rid of radon is to install a radon removal system that draws the radon out of the soil before it even has an opportunity to enter the house. These systems are called “Sub Slab Depressurization Systems” or “Active Soil Depressurization Systems”. These radon removal systems operate by using a piping and fan system that depressurizes the soil that surrounds the home. This in effect reverses the pressure differential between the soil and the lower portion of your home. You’ll still have the same pressures within your house that you’ve always had and never noticed, but the radon will be vented safely outside so that it can dissipate harmlessly into the atmosphere. It doesn’t take much of a pressure differential to draw radon into a home, and it doesn’t take a lot of pressure to draw it out.
Sometimes these systems can be piped up through the house and out the roof or are installed on the outside of the house. Depending on the type of house, you may need a radon removal system that pulls the radon out from below the basement slab, out of block walls or from the crawlspace. Every home is different but usually the most important factor regarding the method of installation is the type of soil around your house and it’s porosity. Homes with clay soils are much more difficult to pull air through than homes built on gravel. Since every home is so different, the EPA recommends hiring a certified radon mitigator to do this type of work and does not advise homeowners to try this on their own. An improperly installed system could raise the radon level or cause other problems like back drafting of the furnace or water heater pulling in carbon monoxide – another deadly gas. Costs can vary from $800 to $2,500 but could be more depending on what work needs to be done. Radon removal systems only cost pennies a day to operate and require almost no maintenance.
