Portland
Oregon Real Estate - Live Green...Live Well!
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Patrick
Smith, MBA, AHWD
Eco Broker Certified
503-421-3824
Licensed in the State of Oregon
CONTACT PATRICK
4001
NE Halsey Street, Suite 100, Portland, Oregon,
97232
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Portland Real Estate Green Tip: Protecting Your Home Against Radon Gas Radon is an odorless, tasteless, and colorless cancer-causing, radioactive gas that is estimated to cause thousands of deaths each year. Radon comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into the air we breathe.
Radon from soil is the main cause of radon problems in homes and buildings. Typically, radon gas moves up through the ground into a building through cracks and holes in the foundation, and the building traps radon gas. Radon can also be found in well water and in a small number of cases, building materials can emit radon gas.
Radon levels are unpredictable and vary from neighborhood to neighborhood, from block to block, from home to home, and even within an individual home. Radon levels in a home can vary during different times of the year, and even different times of the same day. The only way to know whether your house has unacceptable levels of radon is to have the lowest livable space in the home tested. You may test yourself using kits that are available at home supply stores or seek professional assistance from a certified tester such as Eco Tech, a local environmental solutions company. Winter is the best time to test since doors and windows are kept closed allowing radon concentrations to reach detectable levels.
On average, it costs approximately $1200 to fix radon problems in a home. Sealing cracks and other openings in the foundation of a building are a basic part of radon mitigation. In most cases, a system with a vent pipe and a fan is used to reduce radon. These are called sub-slab depressurization systems and do not require major changes to the building.
Cost savings of radon mitigation is measured in terms of assuring the quality of indoor air and preventing any health problems associated with radon.
For additional information and resources concerning radon gas and mitigation solutions please visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Indoor Air -- Radon web page and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: A Citizens Guide to Radon resource page.
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