Radon

Radon is a naturally-occurring gas that leaks into basements from the earth, and it is very common in Western Pennsylvania. 

The concern with Radon is that it is radioactive, and long-term exposure to it has been linked to lung cancer.

Radon-222 is a colorless, odorless, chemically inert gas formed from the radioactive decay of radium.  It has a half-life of less than 4 days, but its decay products are charged atoms of heavy metals that readily attach themselves to airborne particulates.  The US EPA target for radon is below 4 picoCuries per liter.

Mitigation of radon, if present, generally involves a combination of sealing foundation cracks and penetrations, and mechanically ventilating the space below the floor slab to the outside.

Innovative Design Engineering of America, LLC can test for Radon, to determine the concentration present in a home.  Additionally, we recommend that the dwelling be re-tested in the following cases, whether or not the dwelling has been mitigated:

• Occupancy by a new owner

• Two years since the previous test

• Installation of a building addition

• An alteration made that could change the ventilation pattern

• Major cracks or penetrations occurring in the foundation walls or slab

• Significant nearby construction or blasting

• Changes to an installed mitigation system

• Occupation of a ground contact area that was not previously tested