Radon Environmental Issues For Real Estate Professionals An Approved Continuing Education Class for Real Estate Licensees

What is Radon?

What is Radon? Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. It is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US and Canada (next to cigarette smoke). Radon claims 21,000 lives each year.

What is Radon? It’s a radioactive gas that comes from the natural decay of uranium found in nearly all soils. It typically moves up through the soil to the air of your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation.

What is Radon? Any building could have a potential radon problem. Radon can be found in any home, school, office or public building – new or old; well-sealed or drafty. Radon can be found in buildings with basements, crawlspaces or slabs.

What is Radon? Radon can come from: Cracks in solid floors Construction joints Cracks in walls Gaps in suspended floors Gaps around service pipes Cavities inside walls The home’s water supply Radon in water is found in only certain areas of the country (more commonly on the East Coast).

Radon Testing

Radon Testing The amount of radon present in the air is measured in picocuries per liter or “pCi/L” There are two types of short-term testing methods: Active Passive Review EPA zoning map. Red is highest concentration. Yellow is 2.0 or below. PicoCuries are the measure of radiation in a fluid. Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency

Radon Testing Even if a home is built to be radon- resistant, every new home should be tested for radon as soon as possible after occupancy. If you have a test result of 4 pCi/L or more, a radon fan can easily be added to a passive system to make it an active system and further reduce radon levels.

Radon Testing Ensure that the test is approved. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not approve radon test devices. The National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) approves radon test devices. The National Radon Safety Board (NRSB) approves radon test devices.

Radon Testing: Passive Devices Passive Testing Method Passive devices do not require electric power. They could be: Charcoal canisters Alpha-track detectors Charcoal liquid scintillation Electret Ion Chambers (EIC) These devices are generally require 48 hours to complete.

Radon Testing: Passive Devices The base of these units hold and electrical charge. This charge is measured before and after a test. The more the charge dropped during the test, the more radon in the air. EIC technology is a passive integrating ionization monitor consisting of a stable electret mounted inside a small chamber made of electrically conducting plastic. Radon gas passively diffuses into the chamber through filtered inlets, and the alpha particles emitted by the decay process ionize air molecules. Ions produced inside the chamber are collected onto the electret, causing a reduction of its surface charge. Canisters have E-perm results that can be calculated immediately upon the device’s retrieval following the test period. E-perm utilizes EIC technology.

Radon Testing: Active Devices Active Testing Method Active devices are electric powered with continuous radon monitoring and continuous working-level monitoring. They: Require operation by trained testers. Provide a continuous report of present radon levels. Reveal unusual or abnormal swings in radon levels during each test period. Cost more than passive testing, but ensure a more reliable short- term test result.

Radon Testing: Active Devices This unit have built “tamper” sensors to detect if they were moved, etc. These continuous monitors offer instant results that are available at the push of a button following the test period.

Radon Testing Testing Guidelines The testing device should be placed at the lowest living area of the home. The test period should be a minimum of 48 hours. Ensure that the test is approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or your state’s requirements. This unit have built “tamper” sensors to detect if they were moved, etc.

Radon Mitigation

Radon Mitigation Radon mitigation is the method of reducing radon levels in a home. What level of radon is unsafe? When should you mitigate the radon level in a house? The EPA Guidelines state: With active (continuous monitoring) testing, at a level of 4.0 pCi/L or higher the EPA recommends installing a radon mitigation system With passive (canisters) testing, average the results of two canisters or average results from back-to-back tests for accuracy, then mitigate if the results are 4.0 pCi/L or higher.

Radon Mitigation To choose a mitigation system, you and your radon mitigation contractor should consider many things: How high your home’s radon level is in the key living areas The cost of system installation System operation costs Your house size and its type of foundation

Radon Mitigation: Passive Passive Mitigation Gas-permeable layer (stone) Vapor barrier (prevents soil gas entry) Sealed joints 3- or 4-inch PVC pipe Junction box for a fan in the attic

Radon Mitigation: Active Active Mitigation Active systems use a fan to direct the radon out of the home: Sub-slab suction Drain tile suction Sub-membrane suction Combination

Radon Mitigation: Active Sub-Slab Mitigation Sometimes there’s a lack of drain tile for sub-slab homes to tap into. In most modern construction, there’s a drain tile under the slab. When it’s tapped into, it can achieve good communication. The pipe is ran to the attic and up through the roof, side wall (interior), or to the exterior of the home.

All breaches need to be sealed (bathtub plumbing). This is the suction point in the furnace closet in the center of the home.

Radon Mitigation: Active Drain Tile Mitigation This type of active mitigation consists of installing a pipe through the slab to get to the drain tile, which creates good communication under the slab. Sump pits need to be sealed to prevent the home’s conditioned air from being sucked out of the home. Sump pits are also a good suction point to reach the drain tile.

Sealed pump with a clear cover. The suction point through the slab.

Suction point from a sealed sump pit.

Radon Mitigation: Active Sub-Membrane Mitigation Homes with crawlspaces with high radon levels require a 6-mm vapor barrier to be installed on the floor and sealed to the perimeter wall. All penetrations must be sealed through the vapor barrier. A pipe is installed under the membrane, and it serves as the suction point.

Radon Mitigation: Active Combination Mitigation Suction points from the basement and crawlspaces and/or slabs can be joined together to run to the outside.

Pipe Termination

Pipe Termination The pipe should terminate above the roof edge, never lower, to prevent concentrated radon levels from re- entrainment/re-entry back into the home. You should NEVER use a gutter or downspout as an exhaust pipe.

Pipe Termination SHOULD: Be above the eave of the roof Be 10 feet or more above ground level Be 10 feet or more from any window, door or other opening into conditioned spaces of the structure that are less than 2 feet below the exhaust point Be 10 feet or more from any opening into an adjacent building

Pipe Termination Incorrect – too short Incorrect – gutter Correct Gutter vent leaked, causing spauling to brick work. All bricks had to be repaired. Incorrect – too short Incorrect – gutter Correct

Fan Termination

Fan Termination SHOULD: Be located on the outside of the home Be located in the attic Have electrical disconnect where the fan is, not in another room SHOULD NOT: Be located in a basement or crawlspace

Fan Termination Incorrect – in a basement Correct – located outdoors Gutter vent leaked, causing spauling to brick work. All bricks had to be repaired. Incorrect – in a basement Correct – located outdoors Correct – located in attic

Other Circumstances

Other Circumstances Floor drains need sealing. Using a check valve, these floor drains can still be used. Fire collars are needed when a penetration occurs on the firewall, typically between the garage and the basement or crawlspace.

Other Circumstances Red rings are fire collars that expand when heated to close off opening if pipe melts in fire. Other (rubber check valves).

Questions? Answer any final questions.

Congratulations on completing the course.