RADON REPAIRS AND RISK REDUCTION Reducing Radon Risk The only way to know if a home has a high level of radon is to test for it. If you discover your home has an elevated radon level, a number of steps can be taken to reduce your risk. First, stop smoking and discourage smoking in your home. Smoking may increase the risk of exposure to radon, in addition to increasing overall chances of getting lung cancer. Radon Repairs A variety of methods are used to reduce elevated levels of radon gas including reducing the rate at which radon enters the home, and/or forcing the radon out once it has entered. Methods for reducing the rate at which radon enters the home include: Blocking off or sealing its entry points (like dirt floors, cracks in concrete walls and floors, floor drains, sump pumps, joints and hollow-block walls); Reversing the direction of the flow of radon entry pathways by pressurizing the home; Ventilating the soil surrounding the home so radon is drawn away before it can enter the home. Lowering high radon levels require technical knowledge and special skills. Choose a radon contractor who is listed in the EPA's Radon Contractor Proficiency (RCP) Program. EPA-listed contractors carry a special EPA RCP photo-identification card. In most cases, elevated radon levels can be reduced to between 2 and 4 Pci/L, and sometimes even below 2 Pci/L. Most homes with elevated radon levels can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs — between $500 and $2,500.

Acknowledgments:
Environmental Protection Agency