Radon is a radioactive, cancer-causing gas. Just like carbon-monoxide, although you can't see it, smell it or taste it, you may have a problem with it in your home. Radon comes from the natural process of the breakdown of uranium in the earth. It is found everywhere in the country and if you have cracks in your basement (or ever had) they can act as a vacuum which will pull the radon gas into your home. So how do you get rid of radon once it is in your home? PEP Waterproofing specializes in both radon testing and mitigation - or the elimination of radon gas.

Radon Testing

If you would like to have your home tested for radon gas, PEP Waterproofing is licensed and insured as a radon measurement specialist. We will work with you to visit your home and set up a radon monitor. The set up will only require about five minutes, and then we will explain to you the conditions necessary for an accurate test. After at least 48 hours have passed, we will return to your home to read your results and discover the radon levels in your home.

The meter will test your home for picocuries of radon gas per liter. At 4 pCi/L or higher, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends having measures taken to reduce the radon in a building. The lower the radon level in your home, the less likely you and your family will be to develop lung cancer. Of course, any exposure presents a risk of lung cancer, but beneath 4 pCi/L does not represent a significant risk.

Radon Mitigation

While there is more than one method to use for radon mitigation, radon reduction systems have a 99% success rate. We are a dealer for Radon Mitigation Specialists and we use a system which lasts several years before it requires replacement. The first step in radon mitigation is to make sure that no more radon enters the home. Wall cracks are sealed and foundations are repaired to prevent the "vacuum" process from introducing any more radon into your environment. From there it is a matter of combining techniques such as house and room pressurization, heat recovery ventilation and natural ventilation.

These systems require maintenance like normal home systems - most radon abatement systems have a fan which will need repair or replacement every five years or so - and these fans should be constantly running so that the radon is being eliminated from your home.

If you have any questions or you would like to know more about radon testing and radon mitigation, please contact PEP Waterproofing today. We are a licensed and insured contractor and we serve the entire central Missouri area, including Springfield, Jefferson City, Columbia and Sedalia.