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Even the gov't folks will not tell you that a few days worth of radon exposure will give you cancer. When I bought my house, I had a radon test done and it came back high in the basement (unfinished). I got the averaged cost of mitigation taken off the pruchase price but I didn't do anything about it until I was ready to finish the basement. I had a radon expert come in and he laid soemthing like a French drain under the floor before the concrete was poured. It vented to a spot in the mechanical room. When the rest of the framing was done, he came back and connected the capped pipe to a tube going up through the roof and a fan. There is a dial on the tube that shows what's coming up. He charged about $2K, 3 yrs ago.
You could do it yourself, but they can do it faster or cheaper.
What the guys selling the radon mojo don't tell you is that you can significantly lower the radon level with a good epoxy paint.
Radon mitigation works on the principle that there is radon gas under your house and right now the easiest way for the gas to get out is that new empty sapce they made called a basement. Make it more difficult to go through the basement or give it an easier way to get out through tubes and it will.
Don't let anyone tell you your radon should be zero. Granite countertops can
give off radon.
Theres so much misinformation in this post that I hardly know where to start but lets start with epoxy paint as a way to reduce radon. You need to understand that with radon your dealing with radiation. ANY type of paint isn't going to stop radon......common sense here tells you that the radiation is penetrating through a concrete slab 4" thick into the basement......do you really think a layer of epoxy paint is going to stop it if 4" of concrete can't ? When you visit the dentist and they take Xrays they make you wear a lead lined jacket to stop the radiation....not a jacket with some paint on it !!! The builder is NOT licensed to install an active radon mitigation system.....only a state licensed radon specialist....I can't tell you how many systems I repair/correct that are installed improperly by builders and home owners that think they know what they are doing.
The OP is not from NJ. According to their profile they are in CT. There does not seem to be same sort of fees associated with that state as NJ: http://www.ct.gov/dph/LIB/dph/environmental_health/radon/pdf/mitigation_list.pdf (broken link) Being from NJ or CT makes no difference......the protocol for installing radon mitigation is defined through the Federal EPA and each state adopts the protocol to be enforced through their own DEP radon division.
The OP specifically asked if the builder might be able to do the work. I strongly suspect that in a newly constructed home the need to have a extra electrical outlet is pretty minimal, the builder probably has a staff that can handle the other stuff. If the house is located in a Tier One zone (25% of houses test high) then the builder is required to install a "passive" radon mitigation system at the time of construction according to the 16 steps in the national radon hazard sub-code. Should the house test high after construction the builder is NOT licensed to "activate" the system....this can only be done by a state licensed radon specialist.
Just trying to suggest that the there may be a range of options. Sorry.....but the protocol is very clear and strict.....there is only ONE option.....having a state licensed radon mitigator activate an existing builder installed passive system or having a state licensed radon mitigator install an active system from scratch.
There very well may be differences between the $10 or so test kits that they sell in the local hw store and the kinds of things that cost much more. Perhaps you could tell us?
Most store bought test kits (usually charcoal canisters) are just fine if you follow the instructions to the letter........there is more than one type of test equipment out there and some do have a few more bells and whistles available (E-PERMS, working level and continuous radon monitors) but mostly your just paying for the individuals time to place and pick up the equipment.
So interesting that you asked that question! I recently made an offer on a home that had to install the radon mitigation system. Didn't bother me at all as now I don't ever have to worry/wonder about it again. But...the sump pump was completely sealed off without an access cap. They used clear plastic and caulked it all the way around so there was no way to test the sump. I had planned on finishing the basement so it's important I can test the sump. I contacted mitigation company who told me to break seal, test, reseal (about 3x per year). Company further stated they install "100 systems a week" and this is how they seal it off. Neither realtor had ever seen this before and it didn't sound reasonable. I checked on the internet where I discovered either an access cap or locking cap is installed to allow access to the sump. Seller refused to have company come back and install a different cover. Can anyone tell me if it is common to completely seal off the pump with a lid and caulk? Other companies told me if I changed it the warrant would be void!
First....100 systems a week seems a little high.....I think a 100 a year might be more reasonable. I am a New Jersey DEP licensed radon mitigator/specialist and I can tell you that the sump pump pit is required to be sealed according to EPA/DEP radon mitigation protocol. If your realtor has never seen this before you need a a new realtor with more experience. The whole concept of radon reduction is applying suction under the concrete floor slab through pvc ductwork and an inline fan and discharging the flor of air outside. Common sense tells you that you can't be applying suction under the floor slab while have an open sump pump pit otherwise you lose suction.....if suction were great enough you could even create a backdraft pulling carbon monoxide from your furnace. You can't install a radon reduction system and expect it to work properly while having unsealed floor openings not to mention its against protocol and code !!!
Most new homes have a passive mitigation system in them already. It is pretty much a pipe that runs from the ground up through the attic. I was selling a house a few years back and it failed the test. I have a radon mitigator company come and install a fan on the pipe up in the attic. By installing the fan it brought the levels down way below government requirements. It was around $500.00 for the fan and installation. The house was small so the fan was not horribly expensive.
New homes in a state designated Tier One radon zone (zip codes where at least 25% of homes tested are high) are required to have complete passive systems installed at the time of construction.....Tier 2 and Tier 1 zones don't require that......you can check your zone by referring to the Fedreral EPA radon zone map.
What the guys selling the radon mojo don't tell you is that you can significantly lower the radon level with a good epoxy paint.
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When we had a radon guy come to check our house when I lived in WI he told me about all the tricks to lower the levels when he tested our house: seal cracks in concrete floor, seal sump pump, paint floor...very cool guy that also knew all the appropriate marketing techniques (i.e. comparing radon to X-ray exposure). I am on the fence about the true impact of radon, but I erred on the side of caution, so we installed the system.
We ended up using him to install an active system, I think ~$800. It took about 4 hours for him to do work and then he tested for 48 hours afterwards.
$800 ??? Was this individual on your states list of certified mitigation contractors and mesaurement companies ? Did he get the township permits that are required and have the work inspected by the township as required by code in EVERY state ? Both building and electrical permits ? Since the "cool guy" is not a licensed electrician did he bring in a licensed electrician as required by the state to do the electrical work ? If he didn't do this then you were taken.
Even the gov't folks will not tell you that a few days worth of radon exposure will give you cancer. When I bought my house, I had a radon test done and it came back high in the basement (unfinished). I got the averaged cost of mitigation taken off the pruchase price but I didn't do anything about it until I was ready to finish the basement. I had a radon expert come in and he laid soemthing like a French drain under the floor before the concrete was poured. It vented to a spot in the mechanical room. When the rest of the framing was done, he came back and connected the capped pipe to a tube going up through the roof and a fan. There is a dial on the tube that shows what's coming up. He charged about $2K, 3 yrs ago.
What your suggesting is unreasonable......the government can't tell you that a few days of smoking will give you lung cancer either but they can warn you that proloned exposure to either can lead to increased risk of lung cancer....smoking and radiation are dangerous in any amounts....to ignore those facts is just plain dumb.
The "tube" you mention is a manometer.....it tells you how much air flow the system is generating in cfm based upon the reading and the fan model installed.
First....100 systems a week seems a little high.....I think a 100 a year might be more reasonable. I am a New Jersey DEP licensed radon mitigator/specialist and I can tell you that the sump pump pit is required to be sealed according to EPA/DEP radon mitigation protocol. If your realtor has never seen this before you need a a new realtor with more experience. The whole concept of radon reduction is applying suction under the concrete floor slab through pvc ductwork and an inline fan and discharging the flor of air outside. Common sense tells you that you can't be applying suction under the floor slab while have an open sump pump pit otherwise you lose suction.....if suction were great enough you could even create a backdraft pulling carbon monoxide from your furnace. You can't install a radon reduction system and expect it to work properly while having unsealed floor openings not to mention its against protocol and code !!!
We questioned the 100 systems a week as well....yeah right! What the other mitigators explained is that they seal off the sump with a lid (caulked and all) but in the middle of the lid there is an access plug to allow periodic testing of the sump pump. When the plug is in place it is entirely sealed. Makes perfect sense to me. All is sealed up unless I need to test the pump a couple of times a year. Easier than removing the entire lid, checking sump and recaulking like the guy who installed it said i needed to do.
We questioned the 100 systems a week as well....yeah right! What the other mitigators explained is that they seal off the sump with a lid (caulked and all) but in the middle of the lid there is an access plug to allow periodic testing of the sump pump. When the plug is in place it is entirely sealed. Makes perfect sense to me. All is sealed up unless I need to test the pump a couple of times a year. Easier than removing the entire lid, checking sump and recaulking like the guy who installed it said i needed to do.
Sounds like a reasonable suggestion........I don't know of anyone who does it though ?
$800 ??? Was this individual on your states list of certified mitigation contractors and mesaurement companies ? Did he get the township permits that are required and have the work inspected by the township as required by code in EVERY state ? Both building and electrical permits ? Since the "cool guy" is not a licensed electrician did he bring in a licensed electrician as required by the state to do the electrical work ? If he didn't do this then you were taken.
I got his name off of the state website list of certified installers. He was an active member in that association, NHRP or whatever it is called, and I found his name there too as certified. I did this about 4 years ago, so some of the details are fuzzy, but I spent a bunch of time figuring out how to pick someone and I talked with three different guys. He was the most knowledgeable and most experienced. Sorry if you don't like his price, but I just paid it, I didn't set the price.
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