What should you do if you've discovered that you have radon gas in your home. As a licensed radon mitigation technician I can tell you the first thing not to do is panic. There's no need to be alarmed because this problem can be corrected quick and easy for minimal dollars, considering what an average radon installation would cost from a radon company. There are a few things that you can do immediately to help instantly lower your radon levels.

Before you hire a radon mitigation company to take action with their radon remediation process, consider the things you can do yourself first. You're guaranteed to save hundreds of dollars if you can lower the levels below 4pCi/L yourself. Below 4pCi/L is considered safe by the EPA. Many times you can get the levels lower that 4pCi/L. This is possible to achieve without installing an active radon mitigation system, depending on how high the levels are, and a few other variables as well.

Let's take a look at some things that can be done immediately:

Seal your crawl space with 6mil plastic - This is usually a huge source for radon entry into your home, and by putting a barrier down to seal the ground you'll suppress the gas and achieve lower radon levels.
Seal your sump pit - This is another area of massive radon entry due to the simple fact that it a direct hole into the ground and has perimeter drain tile looping around your entire basement ending inside your sump pit. This allows radon to freely float through the drain tile and into your basement through your sump pit.

Seal all floor cracks - When you have cracks in your concrete floor slab, it allows a path of least resistance to occur. Radon gas can and will easily flow through these cracks. You should seal your expansion joints as well. These are the cuts in the floor that came from the builder. These can also be a source over time.

Seal the floor to wall seam - Some homes will have a gap between the floor to wall seam. This can be another source of radon entry. Even if it appears that there's no gap, it's still a good idea to seal it anyway because radon can and will still come through.

Seal any plumbing rough in - Many times a plumbing rough in is cut into the floor for the homeowner to utilize when they install a bathroom or shower etc... The cut is usually all the way through the slab and filled in with pea gravel. This will also nee a temporary seal on it until you use it.

Seal Penetrating floor Pipes - Seal around all penetrating floor pipes. many time they have open nooks and cranny that easily allow radon gas to penetrate.

There are more things that can be done yourself, but if you start with these things you'll have a huge jump-start on reducing the radon levels. You'll need to perform a post radon test in your home after you perform these passive radon reduction techniques. Believe me, you'll save hundreds and hundreds of dollars if you can get the levels down yourself, without hiring a radon mitigation company.

If you're interested in learning step by step, click below... Learn how to install your own radon monitor, step by step in one afternoon. Save money and time with results. Being a licensed radon mitigation technician, I provide you with the exact installation instructions that I use daily in my work. Get Your FREE Video explaining Garage Attic Installations... Learn exactly how to install a radon system in your home today!

Radon Mitigation Improves Indoor Air Quality and Radiation Protection

Should you test your home for radon gas? The only answer is YES! Why? Because radon exposure is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, and reducing your risk is easy.

You cannot see, smell, or taste radon. However, it still may be a problem in your home. The only way to know for sure if you have a problem is if you run a simple radon test in your home. Most radon test kits are performed over a 48 hour time span, and usually up to a week for the results to come back from the lab. There are quicker ways to test your home, such as using and electronic testing device. These methods are more expensive, and provide the same results as the 48 hour canisters do. If you have the extra time it's advisable to use the simple canister test kits. You can these at your local hardware store.

If you discover that your home does have radon levels of 4 pCi/L (pico curries per liter) or higher, you'll probably want to take action and have some type of radon remediation done in your home. This sounds more involved than it is, but rest assured you can have this done in one afternoon with results guaranteed below 4pCi/L. This will give you the radiation protection you and your family deserve.

Radon Remediation can be done in a number of different ways. It does depend on the design of your home, the square footage, whether you have drain tile and or a sump pit, or a crawl space etc... These things are commonly dealt with and a qualified radon mitigation technician will be able to tell you exactly what he will need to do to your home to get the lowest radon level possible for your home.

MYTH #1. My home is new so I don't have a radon problem.

Fact: This is simply not true. New homes can have just as much radon inside as an older home and sometimes even more depending on how tight the house is built.

MYTH #2. My neighbor doesn't have high radon levels so my house won't either.

Fact: This is also not true. Your home could have twice as much radon as your neighbors home. This depends on if your house has a crawl space how tight it is, cracks in the floor, open sump lids etc...

MYTH #3. Radon isn't really harmful, I've lived here for 25 years and don't have any health problems.

Fact: The truth is that radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. Only people that smoke have a higher risk of getting lung cancer. You will reduce the risk of lung cancer when you reduce the radon levels, even if you have lived with an elevated radon level for a long time.

As a home-owner there are many things you can do prior to radon testing that can greatly reduce the levels. If you do these things prior to your radon test, it's possible you may reduce the levels lower than 4pCi/L. This would put you in the safety zone and give you the option of not having an active system installed.

On the other hand, If you're handy you could easily install a radon mitigation system in your home yourself with simple guided instructions.

If you're interested in a step by step guide to install your own radon reduction system, please see the information below.

This guide has been put together from over 10 years of Radon Mitigation Installations.