I’ve been air sealing my old house and have noticed a huge improvement with my hvac not running as much. Jokes on me, it looks like my radon levels have gone up since my house isn’t as drafty (did the $3 vdh test).

The last time anyone posted about radon was over 2 years ago, so wondering if anyone has recent experiences with radon mitigation and costs? Fwiw, 1400 sq ft brick rowhouse with an unfinished basement.

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blingy_egger t1_j6ktlvg wrote on January 31, 2023 at 1:01 AM

This guy did a few in our neighborhood. We’ve all been happy with his work. He charged a flat rate $1500 fee for a similar sized house, but that was 5 years ago.

John W S Davis Jr PG Professional Geologist National Radon Safety Board NRSB #4GSS0009 National Radon Proficiency Program AARST-NRPP #107563RMT VA Class A Contractor#2705-126992A jwsdavisjr@gmail.com 804-658-6021

cvac99 t1_j6kxttw wrote on January 31, 2023 at 1:32 AM

John Davis just did the radon mitigation at my house. He was the lowest of the 3 estimates we received. Cost about $3,000.

Standard_Bat_8833 t1_j6l5w7n wrote on January 31, 2023 at 2:32 AM

2 reviews off rip. Use this guy.

qwertyelff t1_j6ldky9 wrote on January 31, 2023 at 3:31 AM

Commonwealth Environmental did a flat rate of $1200 for our house.

RVARiverSit t1_j6liv2v wrote on January 31, 2023 at 4:15 AM

I used Commonwealth Environmental and loved them. It was several years ago so the price may not be a good comparison. But a few years after they installed the system, the top of the exhaust pipe came loose from the house when a tree fell during a storm. They came back to reattach it for free.

Good job finding this issue OP! Great move for your health.

guiltyofnothing t1_j6ktpdj wrote on January 31, 2023 at 1:02 AM

Take home tests like the one provided by VDH are notoriously unreliable. The first one we did gave us a report of 8 pCi/L. Did a second done in the same spot for the same amount of time gave us 5 pCi/L.

Got an electronic monitor and it averaged out around 2.5 pCi/L.

It’s pricey but it’s worth it for the peace of mind.

m0arpepper OP t1_j6l1yrh wrote on January 31, 2023 at 2:03 AM

Is it the Airthings corenthium by chance? Think I’m going to purchase that.

guiltyofnothing t1_j6l2grr wrote on January 31, 2023 at 2:07 AM

Yessireebob it was.

I’m kind of pissed I even went down the rabbit hole with it. We don’t have a basement and our risk was relatively low from the jump. Peace of mind ended up being expensive.

Charlesinrichmond t1_j6lc4me wrote on January 31, 2023 at 3:20 AM

I have the air things and would tend to recommend it

m0arpepper OP t1_j6lh41t wrote on January 31, 2023 at 4:00 AM

Thanks - was hoping to get your feedback! I'll pick one up.

gdtrfb804 t1_j6kttkb wrote on January 31, 2023 at 1:03 AM

The house I purchased a few years ago had elevated radon levels. Seller was required to have a mitigation system installed. I don't know who he used, but I believe the cost was less than 3K. They drill a hole.in your basement floor and shove a pipe into it and run it through an outside wall, connected to a small fan that draws the air out of the soil and expels it above your roof line. A quick Google search for radon contractors will get you started. But before you go all in on a system, run a few more tests. You can hire a company to set up a machine that samples the air over a 24 or 48 hour period and get accurate level measurements. Cost for this test was a couple hundred bucks three years ago.

systematical t1_j6lqqx1 wrote on January 31, 2023 at 5:29 AM

I'm curious what you did to seal your house up? I've made some improvements on mine, but its not enough.

m0arpepper OP t1_j6mwblf wrote on January 31, 2023 at 1:46 PM

The door thresholds and seals around the door, expanding foam around the electrical boxes in the ceiling to attic (light fixtures, exhaust fan), areas between floor joists on the exterior wall, anywhere there was something ran through exterior wall like dryer vent, wires, conduit.

TDIMike t1_j6mpmec wrote on January 31, 2023 at 12:48 PM

Radon really needs long term monitoring as it can vary widely based on the season and weather.

I'd get a real electronic monitor and spend a year watching it

Proper-Ad4006 t1_j6nj0s2 wrote on January 31, 2023 at 4:22 PM

Recently bought a house and got a radon test. The inspector told me that the numbers are always higher in the winter and if I really wanted a full picture I should test again in the summer because the number is likely much lower

TDIMike t1_j6nj7jx wrote on January 31, 2023 at 4:23 PM

Exactly.

That said, if it's high enough in the winter, you may still want ventilation.

fr0bert t1_j6kp2nf wrote on January 31, 2023 at 12:28 AM

I'd never heard of radon mitigation before I moved to Richmond, part of me thinks it's mostly a scam.

gowhatyourself t1_j6kpeuw wrote on January 31, 2023 at 12:30 AM

Lung cancer is totally a scam perpetrated by "big lung".

YellowOrange t1_j6kxpda wrote on January 31, 2023 at 1:31 AM

Uranium isn't real

fr0bert t1_j6kxlj3 wrote on January 31, 2023 at 1:31 AM

Hey I didn't say radon exposure was a scam, but jump in.

mosaic_hops t1_j6l0cze wrote on January 31, 2023 at 1:51 AM

It’s more of a problem in richmond due to the geology. It’s no scam, just invisible so it seems that way.

choicebutts t1_j6kra0l wrote on January 31, 2023 at 12:44 AM

January is National Radon Action Month!
https://www.epa.gov/radon

wsc0421 t1_j6mi71y wrote on January 31, 2023 at 11:28 AM

It is a scam. The radon contractors will even tell you it’s a scam. I have installed 100’s of radon mitigation systems over the last 20 years. It’s basically a made up industry that preys on people’s fears. Bring on the downvotes.