Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, after smoking. The EPA estimates that radon causes 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that seeps into buildings from the soil, and it can accumulate to dangerous levels in basements and lower levels. Testing is the only way to know if a building has a radon problem.
HECS performs radon testing in accordance with ANSI/AARST standards for residential and multifamily buildings. We use calibrated continuous radon monitors that take hourly readings over a 48- to 96-hour test period, depending on the protocol required. Results are documented in a formal report suitable for real estate transactions, mortgage financing, building code compliance, and green building certification.
If radon levels are above the EPA action level of 4 pCi/L, HECS designs and oversees the installation of a mitigation system. The most common approach is sub-slab depressurization, where a fan and vent pipe draw radon from beneath the slab and exhaust it above the roofline. New construction can include passive radon-resistant features during the build, which makes the active mitigation system much cheaper to install if testing later shows elevated levels.
Engage HECS for radon services if you are: building or buying a new home in a radon-prone area, required by code or lender to test a property, building a multi-family or affordable housing project in a high-radon zone, pursuing a green certification that includes radon testing, or concerned about indoor air quality in an existing building. We provide testing, mitigation design, and post-mitigation verification.