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MULTIFAMILY RADON MITIGATION
New requirements will help protect residents in multifamily homes from cancer-causing radon exposure.
A number of Federal agencies have partnered with the White House Council on Environmental Quality to launch the 2013 Advancing Healthy Housing Strategy. A major part of this healthy home strategy focuses on radon mitigation and radon testing in multifamily buildings, condos and apartments. Effective immediately, multifamily housing that receives HUD financing or re-financing will require radon testing. If the test results show radon concentration above the actionable level of 4 picocuries per liter, a radon mitigation system must be installed in the housing unit to bring down radon concentration to an acceptable level.
Take action today! Contact us today for more information about the new federal regulations for radon mitigation in multifamily homes, condos, and apartments.
RADON MITIGATION
Radon is a radioactive carcinogen that's getting trapped in high levels in many, many homes. Each year, radon is responsible for 20,000 deaths from lung cancer. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers. And if you smoke and spend a lot of your time in a building with high radon levels, you place yourself at the highest risk of contracting radon-induced lung cancer. Even though the treatment of lung cancer hasn't proven all that effective, the prevention of contracting radon-induced lung cancer is quite promising.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends mitigating any building that's radon test returns a radon measurement at or above 4.0 picocuries per liter (pCi/L). Once a building's radon levels are measured and found to be unhealthy, a radon mitigation system is specially designed to effectively reduce the levels to a healthier amount.
RADON TESTING
Radon is a hidden killer - an odorless, invisible gas that can reach high concentrations in the indoor air we breathe daily. Since it's the leading cause of lung cancer after smoking, radon is a major health issue among Federal agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency and national organizations like the National Cancer Society. Despite its high profile as a potentially lethal indoor air pollutant, the fight against radon must be fought one house at a time. And the first step in protecting your family from this cancer-causing gas is by testing your home for radon.
If you are unsure about your ability to conduct an accurate test and want your results immediately, leave it to the pros you can trust, Radon Group. All Radon Group Techs go through extensive training, certification, and continuing education with the EPA to provide the most up-to-date, accurate testing results to our customers. In short, we know radon and we can test radon levels quickly and accurately. Also, if you are selling or buying a home, using licensed Radon Measurement Specialists to perform the test is typically required. The great news is that a professional test is surprisingly affordable!
VAPOR INTRUSION MITIGATION TECHNIQUES
- Sub-Slab Depressurization (SSD): SSD is widely considered the most practical vapor intrusion mitigation strategy for existing and new structures. EPA defines SSD technology as "a system designed to achieve lower sub-slab air pressure relative to indoor air pressure by use of a fan-powered vent drawing air from beneath the slab." Thus, even if there are holes, cracks, or other pathways between the building and the subsurface, vapors flow downward, not upward. Thus, a well-designed depressurization system prevents any toxic vapors from intruding above.
- Sump Pit Depressurization System (SPD): The sump pump cock is used as the suction pit. PVC pipe is run to the location of the fan. The fan is applying a vacuum to the sump pump pit and vapor can be collected and discharged outside. If you have a high water table in the ground this could be a good option for you.
- Sub-membrane depressurization systems: These systems are similar to sub-slab systems, but they are applied to buildings with crawlspaces, where there is either no slab or a partial slab. A vapor barrier (i.e., membrane) that is impermeable to gases is placed under the floor or directly on the soil, and one or more suction pits are placed beneath the membrane. Like subslab systems, they create a negative pressure under the building so vapors do not get sucked up into the building with lower pressure than the subsurface.
- Pressure field extension testing: A soil communication test, or PFE (pressure field extension) test, is a diagnostic test frequently used in radon and soil vapor extraction. This test requires a micromanometer and several pilot holes in the slab to determine how easily air can move under the foundation. This is also used after installation to determine the effectiveness of the system.