Radon Gas Mitigation
We can fix your radon gas problem! Since 1989 Air & Water Quality Inc. has mitigated radon problems in thousands of homes and businesses throughout Maine. Jeff Twitchell has been instrumental in developing the radon mitigation techniques now standard throughout the country. Our technicians are Maine registered radon service providers and our company is a Maine Registered Air & Water Contractor for mitigating radon in both the air and the water. Call us today at 1-800-698-9655 for a free air and water quality consultation and home inspection estimate.
Protecting yourself from radon gas
Protecting your health and your family members' health is the number one reason to test indoor air for the presence of radon gas and to then to correct the radon issue when there is a problem. Breathing radon gas causes lung cancer. Exposure to radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer (the first is smoking). The Harvard Center for Risk Analysis1 ranked radon gas as the number one home health risk, ahead of injuries from falling, poisoning and fires.
Radon mitigation and real estate transactions in Maine
When a home inspection reveals radon in the air or water Air & Water Quality will solve these issues quickly and effectively so that the closing can happen on time! If you have a radon problem, call us for a consultation and free radon mitigation estimate. We work with both sellers and buyers to solve radon air and radon water problems AND to eliminate the stress that a high radon test result can cause. The bottom line is that a radon issue should never derail a real estate transaction because the problem can be fixed in nearly all cases. If you are buying or selling a home in Maine, you are more than likely to come across a radon issue -- over half of Maine homes have air radon levels that exceed the state and federal action level of 4.0 pCi/l.
Radon mitigation using sub-slab depressurization
Radon gas originates in the geology under the house and percolates up through the soil, through micro pores in the basement slab and into the home. The standard technique for mitigating radon in Maine is called sub-slab depressurization.2 These systems remove air from under the slab to create a pressure barrier. The pressure barrier prevents the radon gas from entering the building. The good news is that subslab depressurization is very effective at preventing radon from getting into the house.
Radon mitigation using sub-membrane depressurization
In dirt floor basements a technique called "sub-membrane depressurization" can be used to fix the radon problem. This involves placing a fire-rated membrane over the dirt floor and fastened it to the basement wall. The radon gas is trapped under the membrane and then sucked out and ventilated outside.
Reducing the radon concentration by increasing ventilation
If the dirt floor basement is extensive or if the material under a concrete slab is impervious to air flow, the sub-slab and sub-membrane depressurization techniques can be ineffective. In these cases an air to air heat exchanger may be effective in reducing the radon gas concentration. An air to air heat exchanger, also known as a heat recovery ventilator (HRV) or an energy recovery ventilator (ERV), pulls in air from the outside and exchanges it with inside air and in the process also transfers heat from the outgoing air to the incoming air. Air & Water Quality has extensive experience in using heat recovery ventilators to reduce the radon concentration. Most importantly, we know when this technology will be effective AND when it will not.
Call 1-800-698-9655 today for a free consultation and estimate. Air & Water Quality Inc. has eight licensed radon mitigators on staff with a combined 75 years of experience. Request a radon mitigation consultation and an estimate for air and water quality testing.
1 "Ranking Risks in the Home," Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, April 1998, Volume 6 Issue 4
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