STOP RADON Solutions

Why Be Concerned About Radon?
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer; smoking being the first! Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers! Radon can accumulate to unhealthy levels in our homes and other buildings!

What is Radon?
Radon and Radon gas are naturally occurring by-produce of decaying uranium in the ground. Uranium is an unstable-radioactive element that mutates or devolves into other elements over time, and one of the elements is Radon. Because Radon is a gas it can be breathed into our lungs where it can damage the lung tissue and cause lung cancer.

Radon is present, in varying amounts, in all areas of the province, some areas having high radon activity while other locations having lower concentrations. When Radon gas is naturally dispelled into the outdoor air it is diluted and is not generally a health concern.

In buildings however, the Radon gas can accumulate in higher concentrations and become a health risk. Any area of a building that is in contact with the earth is susceptible to radon gas infiltration. The gas can enter the building through any cracks, voids or imperfections in the foundations or floor slab. If high levels of Radon gas are detected in a building or home, then repairs should be undertaken to limit the entry of Radon and in many cases a special Radon Mitigation System will need to be installed.

STOP RADON Solutions can test the indoor air in your home or building to determine the level of Radon that is present. Health Canada has set guidelines for Radon levels in homes and other buildings and if the level is above the guidelines, then action should be taken to lower the levels.
If you do have elevated Radon in your home STOP RADON Solutions will work with you to develop a Radon Mitigation Plan to lower the Radon to acceptable levels. The good news is that most homes and buildings can be mitigated, so that the Radon is reduced to acceptable levels, and at a reasonable cost.

How Do You Test for Radon?
There are a number of methods and many types of equipment and devices that can be used to measure Radon levels. There are also different time durations for testing but only a long-term Radon test is recognized by Health Canada to determine the actual Radon Exposure.

Radon levels in homes can vary significantly over time. In fact, it is not uncommon to see radon levels change by a factor of 2 or 3 over a 1-day period, also, Radon variations from season to season can be even larger. For this reason only a long-term measurement period will provide an accurate indication of the actual average radon concentration/exposure. Long-term Radon measurements range from 3 months to 12 months in duration. Higher Radon levels are usually observed during winter months when houses are sealed up.

During a long term measurement, there are no requirements for the occupants to change their lifestyle once the measurement devices have been put in place. Health Canada recommends that the radon test performed in a home be a long-term measurement, ideally conducted during the heating season. (source, Health Canada, Guide for radon measurements in Residential Dwellings (Homes)

Who Can Test for Radon
Home or building owners can conduct their own testing, however it is recommended that a certified Radon Measurement Professional undertakes the testing to ensure reliable results.

Information is Power!
Radon and its health concerns are not widely known or understood, however there is a wealth of valuable information that is available to better understand this substantial health risk:

BC Center for Disease Control:
http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/prevention-public-health/radon https://bccdc.shinyapps.io/bcradonmap/

BC Lung Association
https://bclung.ca/programs-initiatives/radon-and-lung-health

Health Canada
https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/health-risks-safety/radiation/radon.html

Types of Radon Mitigation
If your home or building has elevated Radon, not to worry, in most cases the building can be successfully and economically mitigated and the Radon levels brought down to below Health Canada action levels. The type of mitigation system will depend on two factors....the measured Radon level in the home and.....how the home is built:

• What is the level of Radon in the home or building? If the Radon is only slightly over the action level, then we use a step-by-step approach. We will start with the least invasive methods, which are usually the least costly.

• For instance, if your home is only slightly over the Health Canada action level of 200 Bq/m3 then finding and sealing up soil gas entry points in the basement or crawlspace may be all that is needed and is generally easy on the pocket book. A follow-up Radon test would determine if the Radon work done was successful.

• If however, the Radon levels in the home are much higher, then it has been our experience that simply sealing off entry points will not lower the Radon level enough. In this case, in addition to sealing off entry points, an active Radon reduction system will be needed to effectively lower the Radon levels in the home. Of course, this type of a mitigation system will be more costly, but these types of systems are very effective and can significantly reduce the Radon levels and by as much as 95%.



Sub-Membrane Active Depressurization system. This type of mitigation system is commonly used in crawlspaces with dirt floors and includes installing a Radon membrane over the floor and a Radon fan and piping to draw the Radon gas from under the membrane and vent it to the exterior of the home. This system is very effective in crawlspace homes.




Sub-Slab Active Depressurization System. This type of mitigation system is commonly used in basement homes and includes coring a hole into the basement floor slab and installing a Radon fan and piping to draw the Radon gas from under the floor slab and vent it to the exterior of the home. Depending on the type of soils under the home these types of systems can be very effective.

Who Can Install Radon Mitigation Systems?
There is no regulation in Canada, at this time, that limits who can install Radon systems. Having said that, understanding Radon, what it is, why it is a health concern, how it enters buildings, and how to remove it requires a specialized set of training, education and experience and a good understanding of how homes & buildings are constructed. Our lead Radon specialist is a certified Radon Measurement and Radon Mitigation Professional and has ten years of Radon measurement and mitigation experience, and is a member of the Canadian Association of Radon Scientists and Technicians (CARST) and is trained and certified by the Canadian National Radon Proficiency Program (C-NRPP).







In addition to training, knowledge and experience, STOP RADON Solutions uses highly specialized tools and equipment to, detect, measure, assess and install Radon mitigations systems.

Let Us Help
Contact us to find out more about Radon, If it is in your home, If the levels are high and how we can lower the Radon levels and protect you and your family from Radon..... We love to TALK RADON! .......STOP RADON Solutions.......