Breathing safe indoor air is worth the effort
A radon mitigation system reduces radon gas to safe levels in your home.
It ushers radon out of a home using pipes, pumps, and vents.
DIYing a radon mitigation system isn’t recommended.
You can take preliminary DIY steps to prep for the pro to install a system.
If you’ve recently discovered high radon levels in your home, you may wonder if building a mitigation system on your own is a good idea. But can a homeowner install a radon mitigation system using DIY methods? With the risks involved and the scope of work required, most of the project should be left to a professional—but there are some parts you may be able to do yourself.
Learn how far you can go without the help of a pro and when you should defer to the experts instead.
Radon is a radioactive gas derived from natural uranium found in soil. It can be dangerous to humans over long periods of exposure. In fact, exposure to this substance is the number one non-smoking cause of lung cancer in the United States.
A natural byproduct of the decaying uranium in rocks and soil, radon can enter and build up in homes without preventative measures in place. What’s worse, it’s colorless and odorless which makes it difficult to detect without proper radon testing.
As for how to get rid of radon, a mitigation system is your best and only option. There are three types of these systems—sub-slab suction, drain-tile suction, and sub-membrane—and they all do the same thing: pull radon out of your home through a series of vents and pipes.
No matter which radon mitigation system you opt for, these are the components you’re most likely to find in each one and what they do.
Radon fan: This feature is installed in a cavity in the roof or an attic and carries radon from the inside to the outside of a home. Because its job is so important, radon fan replacements cost more than replacing other broken parts.
U-tube manometer: This part is placed in an easily visible location and will signal to homeowners whether or not the radon fan is working.
Radon mitigation system tag: Located below the U-tube manometer, this tag contains all of a system’s pertinent information, like when and who installed it, plus their phone and license number.
Active notification monitor: This alarm will ring if the radon fan isn’t working properly.
PVC Pipe: This pipe connects the radon fan at the top of a home to the suction pit at the base.
Suction pit: Located in or near the home’s foundation, this part pulls radon from the soil below and carries it up through the PVC pipe to the radon fan, which moves it outside.
Radon is a hazardous gas that comes with a number of risks when improperly handled, and there’s no way to avoid contact with it when building a system like this.
What’s more, the system needs to be installed correctly for it to work at all, which can be difficult to do if you don’t have all the right skills, equipment, and knowledge of local codes and regulations. But who installs radon mitigation systems? You should hire a radon reduction specialist near you. They can provide radon testing to see how high your home’s levels are and install a mitigation system if necessary.
Here’s a look at what the pros will do throughout the process:
Conduct a radon air quality test to see how high the gas levels are in your home.
Create a suction point where radon levels are highest.
Dig a sub-slab pit, which will create a larger surface area and enable the radon fan to remove radon most efficiently.
Install the PVC pipe from the bottom to the top of the house.
Construct an exit vent in the roof or attic and install a radon fan.
Test the system and make adjustments as necessary.
Although DIYing a radon mitigation system isn’t recommended, there are some things you can still do—like clearing an area of your basement for the pros to work or learning how to test for radon yourself.
Exposure to radon over a long period of time can cause serious health problems, including lung cancer. Lowering radon in your home requires professional knowledge and skills only available by hiring a radon mitigation pro.
You can buy DIY radon test kits from a home improvement store and conduct radon testing, but these tests are often inaccurate. No matter the result, you should supplement DIY testing with professional radon detection and analysis. DIYers only have access to passive radon tests, which aren’t as reliable as active tests that professionals use. Plus, it’s very easy for DIYers to make mistakes during testing, leading to inaccurate results. If you’re moving into a new home, have concerns about radon, or are due for an updated test, hire a professional.
Radon testing costs depend on whether you hire a professional radon inspector or DIY test. You can expect to pay $150 to $800 to hire a local radon inspector, and home-testing kits range in price from $15 to $250 from home improvement stores. However, it’s best to trust a professional inspector with this task to ensure accurate results. Plus, if you have radon in your home, your testing company can develop a mitigation protocol to keep you and your family safe from the dangerous gas, so it’s well worth the money to hire a professional.
If radon is present in your home, you can expect to pay around $1,000 for a radon mitigation system or between $780 and $1,250 in most cases. The exact price will depend on the severity of the radon leak, home size, and the protocol the radon specialist develops to remove radon from your home and keep it out. Your foundation type will also affect your radon mitigation system cost, as unfinished basements will cost about $4,600 to seal and ventilate, while crawl spaces without a foundation slab may need extra encapsulation, costing $1,500 to $15,000.
Yes, radon testing is absolutely necessary if you suspect the presence of this hazardous gas, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends testing for all homes in the country. Radon is a pervasive natural gas that can leak through your home’s foundation and seep into the living areas. Unfortunately, the gas is highly carcinogenic and is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Radon testing is crucial for keeping you and your family safe from harm, so hire a radon mitigation specialist to test your home if you suspect its presence in your home.
In most states, radon testing companies don’t need to be licensed or certified by the state, but the companies that analyze the test results and develop radon mitigation protocols do. You should choose a radon testing company that suits your needs, but before hiring a mitigation specialist, check our state licensing tool to make sure the company is properly certified.
