Metrowest Boston tends to have high levels of radon in many homes, because we have a lot of rock or ledge in the area. As rock and ground erode, it releases a naturally occurring gas called radon into our atmosphere. You can’t see it, and you can’t smell it. High levels of radon can cause cancer, but this problem can be easily addressed by installing a radon mitigation system. The system is relatively reasonably priced — around $1,500 — and typically removes the radon from inside the property.

Start with testing your home

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health Indoor Air Quality Program offers free radon tests by calling 800-723-6695. You install the radon test in your lowest living area, let it sit for two days undisturbed, leaving doors and windows closed, then mail the radon test to the lab. You will receive an email with the results within a week. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends less than 4 picocuries (pCi) of radon per liter of air in the home, preferably under 2 pCi.

If radon levels in a home are higher than what the EPA recommends, call a radon mitigation company to inspect the home and provide a price quote. For installation of a mitigation system, a company typically drills a 6-inch hole into the basement foundation and installs a 6-inch PVC pipe that runs from the foundation up the side of a home and past the roofline. Workers then install a fan in the middle of the PVC pipe that pulls air from in and around the foundation and sends it up to the roof of the property. Typically when you install a system like this, it reduces the the radon to under 2 pCi, and some companies will guarantee or warranty the level. Newer homes already might have a passive PVC pipe installed for future use. More recent home building codes require the pipes to be installed in case of future need. However, if you test a newly constructed home for radon, it might produce a false positive, as it can take a couple years for foundations to cure, because they are made with rock aggregate.

On the side of the PVC pipe, there is a blue gauge that sometimes can be misconstrued as showing the radon levels in the house. This is not accurate. What the gauge is indicating is only that the fan is working, that there’s reverse air pressure in the system and that the system likely is doing its job. Just because your neighbor’s home has high levels of radon doesn’t mean that your home will. You are encouraged to retest the home periodically. Further, radon testing can be done using a handheld detector to obtain a real-time reading, or you can use an alarm that you can place in a basement or the lowest-level living area that will continuously record the radon level in the home and alert you to elevated levels.

For more information, visit: mass.gov/info-details/fixing-radon-in-your-home.

Kim Foemmel
Foemmel Fine Homes
1 Lumber Street, Suite 207C
Hopkinton, MA
(508) 808-1149
Kim.Foemmel@gmail.com
FoemmelFineHomes.com

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