Radon Mitigation Process

The process required depends on the construction of the home. Most homes are basically one of three foundation types, or a combination of any two or even all three. The types are: basement, crawlspace, or concrete slab. The principle of radon mitigation is creating a barrier or utilizing an existing barrier (concrete), trapping the radon gas before it enters the home, and forcing it to the exterior with pipes and a fan. 

The process for basements and slabs are basically the same.  We drill a 4"-6" hole (depending on the square footage to be treated) through the concrete floor and excavate approximately 3 gallons of gravel/dirt beneath the floor around the hole. We then insert and seal a 3"-4" Schedule 40 PVC pipe into the hole and route it to a predetermined point on the exterior of the home. We can route the pipe from the basement, through the rim joist to the exterior of the home, mounting the fan to the pipe on the side of the home. This system would be vented above the eveline, typically with aluminum downspout matching the siding of the home. The PVC could also be routed from the basement vertically through a wall or existing plumbing chase or a closet, into the attic. The fan would be mounted to the PVC pipe in the attic and vented through the roof. If there is an attached garage, adjacent to the working area in the basement, the PVC pipe can be routed from the basement into the garage. The PVC pipe would be routed into the garage attic, with the fan mounted to the PVC pipe in the garage attic, vented through the garage roof. 

The process for mitigating crawlspaces involves creating a barrier in the crawlspace using a plastic membrane. A 6mil or 12mil plastic membrane is laid on the floor surface and secured to the foundation, creating a virtually air-tight barrier. The soil gas collection system can be built in two different ways. First, a common collection pipe (perforated ADS pipe), can be looped throughout the crawlspace beneath the plastic membrane. In one or more places, the ADS pipe will be converted to Schedule 40 PVC through the membrane, then routed to the exterior of the home as noted in the previous treatment plan. Secondly, multiple PVC vertical collection pipes may be inserted through the membrane from the main PVC pipe. Both approaches create suction beneath the plastic membrane, removing radon, moisture, and other soil gasses, exhausting them to the exterior of the home, keeping them from entering the home.