Radon Remediation/Fresh Air in Homes

The HUD secretary came out with a new policy on healthy homes this past week. The Surgeon General issued a statement about how many unhealthy homes there in the United States and how some of the problems may be relatively easy to repair. Here in Minnesota, we have some of the highest levels of Radon in the country. Radon is a naturally occurring gas that comes from a breakdown that occurs in the granite that much of Minnesota is situated on. There is actually a small amount of radon that is found in all outside air in Minnesota, but the level is below what they consider safe. Many older homes with a lot of cracks in the foundation can have levels of radon that are elevated to hundreds of times of what the acceptable level is. Newer homes in Minnesota are built very air tight to make them more energy efficient. This is great for saving energy, but horrible for taking care of the radon problem. The radon can make its way into the home and it has no way to get out so it just builds up. Many newer homes have an air exchanger, which greatly alleviates the problem by bringing in fresh air and getting the bad air out. This also helps with a lot of other problems that the Surgeon General mentioned. Moldy and damp homes are very common in the modern home. They don’t have the leaky windows and walls that the older homes have which allow the older homes to breathe (not very energy efficient though). All new Minnesota homes now must have a passive radon remediation system in place with construction such that you could add an active system if necessary. A passive system simply consists of pipes running beneath the basement floor and proper sealing of the slab before it is poured. The pipes are connected to a pipe that runs from below the floor out through the roof. This allows the basement floor to vent out the radon through natural convection. An active system simply adds a electric in line fan to the pipe running out through the roof to provide negative pressure under the slab. Most newer Minnesota homes have a drain tile system below the existing basement slab. You can retrofit a active radon remediation system using the drain tile as the part of the system below the slab that you provide negative pressure in. It is best to work with a qualified Minnesota contractor to install this system. If installed improperly, it can actually raise the levels of radon in the Minnesota home.
You can also add an air exchanger to existing homes. This is a great way to remove the stale moist air from the home and bring in fresh outside air. This should also be done by a qualified Minnesota contractor to guarantee proper installation and operation of the system.

If you have any questions on any of these issues, please feel free to contact us through email or at 612-840-4306.

Tags: Healthy Homes, LEED Certification, Minnesota Bathroom Remodeler, Minnesota Builder, Minnesota Construction, Minnesota contractor, Minnesota home remodeler, Minnesota New Construction, Minnesota New Home Builder, Minnesota Remodeler, Minnesota remodeling contractor, Radon Remediation, unfinished basement