Radon Measurement & Mitigation

Gavin Healy of Balance Point Home Performance is a licensed radon measurement and mitigation provider in the state of California. In working with our customers to achieve low energy homes with good indoor air quality we have discovered the need to add radon measurement and mitigation services to our business.  While we didn't start our business with the goal of working on radon systems, we feel it is important to prioritize and mitigate those things in our home's that have the greatest potential for causing us harm. Radon, which is a soil gas, is unquestionably one of those things that can harm us. The good news is that all homes can be mitigated for radon. The bad news is that many homes have elevated radon levels and because there are no immediate symptoms associated with radon many people falsely assume that it is not an issue in their home or where they live. We have tested and remediated homes in Nevada County that have had more than 10 times the EPA recommended threshold for radon.  

Gavin Healy is Certified by the

ARRST National Radon Proficiency Program as:

• Residential Mitigation Certification #107564
• Residential Measurement Certification#107564

How we test for radon:  

We use a Continuous Radon Monitor (CRM) to measure hourly radon levels in accordance with EPA and NRPP standards. When we are contracted to work on a home to reduce the levels of radon we test our work to ensure that we have met the goal. Once we have mitigated a home we are confident in the test results. (It is always recommended that you have a third party test your house so that you don't have to just take our word.) We apply our deep knowledge of building science and building performance testing to ensure that the radon system we install works with the other systems in the house.

How we fix radon:

• Subslab Depressurization
• Active and Passive Soil Depressurization
• Mechanical Ventilation control strategies
• Planing and Implementing for new construction mitigation systems (with emphasis on low energy consumption)

One size does not fit all.  How much it will cost to mitigate your house depends on the following factors:

• The target level of radon you want to reduce your house to. (Typically less than 4PciL, though some customers desire lower levels.)
• If you want the radon vent pipes and fan (typically 4inch pipes) surface mounted on the outside of your house, or if you want to conceal the pipes up through interior walls for aesthetic considerations.
• How quiet you want your system to be.
• If your system requires specific planning for freeze protection.
• If you want to design a system that minimizes the electric consumption of the fan.
• Houses with accessible attics and full crawlspaces tend to cost less to mitigate than slab on grade houses and houses with no attic space.
• How difficult it is to run a dedicated electric circuit to wire the radon fan (for some houses a dedicated circuit is already available, for others it requires running a new electric wire from the panel to the fan).
• The type of roofing material and roof access can impact the cost of the system.  A vent pipe will need to be flashed through the roof. This is typically easy for standard composition roofs, but can be more costly for other types of roofs. 

If you live in Nevada County (we sometimes work in neighboring counties) and you would like for use to design a system and provide a quote give us a call or send us an email and we will schedule an appointment.