Radon: Safeguarding the Home

Clay County resident Jim Gasser has never considered himself an "avid believer" in the risks associated with radon, an odorless, colorless gas produced by the breakdown of subsurface uranium.

Nevertheless, this didn’t stop him from installing a radon-mitigation system when he began building his new home several months ago.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates between 15,000 and 22,000 Americans die annually from exposure to the gas, which can seep into the home through unprotected crawl spaces and basements.

Gasser is very familiar with these statistics. In fact, he’s known about radon for decades since reading about it in Science News.

"I do believe that radon exposure poses a risk to heavy smokers," says Gasser. "Fortunately, neither my wife nor I smoke – we live pretty clean lives."

Nevertheless, several factors influenced his decision to safeguard his home against radon – for starters, the presence of granite on his property.

"We do have some granite outcroppings on the property, so there is the possibility of increased radon, although the specific site on which we’re building our house has no granite."

Another consideration is the fact that Gasser lives in Clay County, considered one of the state’s high-risk counties for radon-exposure

"Our three boys will be living in the basement and are going to spend a substantial amount of time there," Gasser says. "Since we live in a high-risk radon area, I saw no harm in installing the devices."

Also, there’s the issue of resale value. While Gasser intends to live in the house for the rest of his life, there’s always the possibility he will have to sell the house sometime in the future, and he wanted to be prepared in the event a potential buyer raised concerns about radon.

"If someone (a potential buyer) looks at the house and asks about radon, we can show him the devices already have been installed."

Gasser says he spent less than $300 to install the devices. However, waiting to install these devices after completion of the house would have cost him several thousand dollars.

There are several ways to equip a home with radon mitigation.

In Gasser’s case, he installed what is known as a "passive-slab ventilation system." This first involved putting gravel under the basement’s concrete floor to allow some venting of the gas from underground. Then, a sheet of plastic was included between the gravel and cement floor to serve as a vapor and radon-gas barrier.

Finally, a pipe was installed from the concrete floor to the gravel subsurface so that the gasses could be vented from the pipe through the roof.

The concrete floor underwent the normal degree of cracking after installation, so as an extra precaution, Gasser sealed the cracks.

After his family moves into the home sometime next year, Gasser plans to test for radon emission in the basement. If the tests turn up high radon levels, he has the additional option of installing a fan in the venting pipe to disperse the gas.

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System and the Alabama Department of Public Health are involved in a multi-agency, 18-county region in North Alabama to educate residents about the risks associated with radon exposure.

To receive more information on new construction training or other radon programs, please contact Dr. Harry Strawn, Extension Radon Program director, at (334) 844-3688, or Susan Roberts, assistant director, at (334) 844-3686.

In Madison County, contact Sabrina Lyle, Extension radon education technician, at the Madison County Extension office at (256) 532-1578, Ext. 11.