Radon Mitigation question

Anybody on here ever have any radon mitigation done? We just received a bid from a radon mitigator and he wants to put 5 holes in our basement and charge us a hefty price. I do not know why he would want to drill 5 ones in basement floor and fill with crushed rock. It would seem to me the fan would only suck air from the path of least resistance.

I am interested in how much your radon mitigation cost you. Our basement is measuring in the 12’s for radon. It is 1600 square feet in the basement.

Maybe just move , far far away ?

If I was very concerned, I would research the process. You can, likely, buy everything necessary to do the job for less than they want to charge you. Radon is heavier than air and will be found in the highest concentrations near the basement floor. Unless you or your kids are living in the basement, you probably don't have a lot to worry about. I had a high concentration of radon in the last home I lived in, brought to my attention by a home inspector. Cost me a couple grand off the price of my home sale. I'm, pretty sure, the whole radon scare is another scheme to create a government agency to embezzle tax payer money. Nearly all of the people "proven" to have succumbed to lung cancer due to radon exposer were miners working in super high concentrations of the gas for years. Could have been the coal dust, 2 packs a day, or a number of other things, but the creation of another beaurocracy won the day. At any rate, there are plenty of YouTube videos on radon mitigation if you care to check them out. Mostly, it's just a process of using a fan to move the air in the lowest level of your home to the outdoors.

Just open your Bilco door for 30 minutes each day.

Our test showed 9.7 in October 2022. Had system installed November 2022. Results afterward was <.5. One hole through the basement floor. Pipe routed through the roof with the fan in the attic. If your floor was poured over crushed rock / gravel (as it should be) one hole should be sufficient.

Our basement is 1500 sq ft. One hole through the base slab in a closet at one end of the house with one fan and riser pipe. Very simple and easy. Post installation test showed it corrected the problem. Also addressed humidity issue in the finished basement. Fan runs continuously when the power is on.

We just had a system put in this spring. It's a small basement, one hole drilled in the floor with fan outside and piped venting above the roof line. It cost us a little over $2000 but there are few contractors anywhere near here that do that work and even fewer that actually answer the phone or call back.

Why would you do radon mitigation in Iowa?
Radon is emitted primarily from ganitic rocks. You house isn't sitting on a granite outcrop is it? Is there something else particular to your area that is a cause for concern regarding radon?

I am thinking this radon mitigator is trying to put it to us. He wants $2600 plus whatever the electrician charges. He claims he can do the installation in one day. My investigating says fan and all the parts could cost $500 or less. $2100 labor for 8 hours work is pretty good pay. We will have close to $3000 with electrical work.

Thanks for the comments. Dan, EdP and Smoky Hill.

Don't know what part of iowa your from,but I worked with a guy that son-in-law puts them in and his mother-in-law has the monitors to do the testing.think the testing is like 175.00 and the system could cost around 2,000.00. Dubuque County area. Think this guy puts them in one day also.iam sure the price depends alot on the layout of your house,if it's a ranch or 2 story etc.

How do you know that you have high radon levels? Did you have an indepedant test done?

Was $800 for the house I sold. One hole, one fan.

We did one those tests from Menards and then had the mitigator do a more “professional test”.

All of Iowa is known for high radon levels.

My house in Iowa tested at 22. I put the system in myself but I used to work for a radon mitigation contractor. How many holes they have to put in depends on what is under the concrete floor. If your home was built with a layer of clean gravel under it , one hole should suffice. The air will flow through it. If the concrete was poured directly on hard clay underneath, more holes would be required. Other considerations , is the floor all one level, in a crawl space, are the walls poured concrete or block construction. We did one house that took 3 holes in the floor and 1 into each of the four concrete block walls.

Radon is a natural derivative of radium. It is naturally found in the soil in many states. The kit that was referred to is cheap. You can get one from Menards, Lowe's, Runnings or any other Hardware store nearby. As mentioned above, Radon is a very dense gas (heavier than air) and therefore may be found in the basement. Especially if your house has cracks in the concrete walls or floors although it can also enter your home through basement windows and plumbing. If you have children sleeping in the basement you have more of a reason to be concerned. Many non-smokers that suffer from lung cancer and have lived in their basement may have reason to believe it started there. After teaching Chemistry for years in northcentral SD I have had numerous students ask about the kits required to check their home levels. The kit consists of an small "drawer" of activated charcoal that absorbs Radon. The closest company we had was in Monticello, MN who did the analytics for us. Cost was about $22.00 back then. We had a few homes in our community that tested higher than "normal". The suggestion was to start the fans and open the basement windows or, if major cracking was present in the basement, repair it. If you or your children are sleeping in the basement beware. Early symptoms include drowsiness, headaches, lack of energy especially in the morning. Go online for a complete list.

Radon has always been a silent killer. If in doubt get yourself a kit and check it out. What price can you put on a safe repair?

Check with your local Health Department too.

Ours gives out the kits and does the testing for nothing in January (Radon Awareness Month) and for a real discounted price other months.