Radon Problem in Kentucky

Recently, we measured our house for radon and had levels of 10. The accepted rate of the EPA is 4.0. So, we were over twice the limit. Kentucky in particular is a hot bed of radon.

Radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths in the US. It’s a dangerous, odorless, gas that is present in our homes. Basically, when we build our homes, it acts as a vacuum and sucks up the radon from the ground and surrounding area and draws it into our home. Long term exposure to this gas is harmful (don’t freak out, short term we are OK).

It’s a very easy fix though. Brian and I called a company in town to take care of it for us for $1100 (which is a great deal – normal range is 1500-2500). The company was real shady, and I have heard that about a lot of radon companies.

I talked to my friend Bobby from high school and he did the work himself and used an online consultant to bring his levels down to 0.9. We installed the kit ourselves and brought it down to 2pCi/L. The online consultant was so nice and knowledgeable. I emailed him a few times, and he called me a few times to talk me through some decisions you have to make along the way. He told me if the fan didn’t take my levels low enough, to just return it and we would try another fan! He’s awesome!

Impressive huh? And we paid a handyman to do the dirty work. It took him one day to drill the hole in the basement, and run PVC pipe through the attic. The second day he hooked up the fan, vented through the roof and sealed the pipe. Our total cost for hiring this out and ordering supplies online was $380.00. Not bad! Supplies were only $180 if you have a handy husband or are handy yourself. If you want to use our handyman to do the work, just let me know.

This guy, Val, at indoor radon mitigation will walk you through the process. I’m happy to give you advice on what I have found too. I copied him on this email (hi, Val) and his website is https://www.indoor-air-health-advisor.com. His advice is free, all he asks is that you order your supplies (fan, etc.) from him – his prices are competitive…. So, it just makes sense!

SM
Kentucky