One Family's Radon Story - Testing and Continuous Monitoring are Key

Posted by: Rate It Green Team

What is invisible, dangerous, and can occur in both old and new homes, that we also need special equipment to detect?  In this video, Christopher Matos-Rogers of the Matos-Rogers Group talks about radon.  Importantly, he shares his own experience and that of the previous owner of his family’s home as they detected potentially dangerous levels of radon and then took steps to address this hazard.  The good news for most of us is that radon can be mitigated and need not pose a continuing risk to occupant health.  The bad news?
 

• Too many people don’t test for radon
• Many people who test for radon once, during a home purchase, for example, do not test again, even though this test only shows results for one 48-hour period, and radon levels are not constant
• Many people with radon mitigation systems do not continuously monitor levels, which again are not constant

The previous owner of Christopher’s home thought they had taken care of their radon problem, which is quite common and normally requires a simple enough mitigation system which vents radon out of the structure.  But the advice they received was faulty, and they had to put an old system back online and add a second one.  It turns out Christopher continued to monitor, and one of those systems didn’t work.  One new system and an ERV later, the problem is largely solved.  Except that radon is not a constant, and certain conditions can still cause risk.  

What if Christopher and his family hadn’t done a radon test?  What if they hadn’t continued to monitor?  It’s really important to consider the bullets above and to think about his experience.  We all need to be aware of how common radon is in our areas, and we need to test and monitor.  These are solvable problems, and normally the solutions are not this challenging.  It’s good for Christopher and his family stayed on the case!  And it’s great that Christopher made time to share his story and expertise, so that the rest of us will be safer. It’s impressive how much information he was able to share in such an efficient video! 

Have you thought about your radon risk?  
Are you monitoring, annually or in real time? 
What techniques have you used to control radon in your home? 

Let’s consider these important questions Christopher has posed - and add your voice to the discussion! 

Spooky Building Stories:

Christopher was kind enough to answer our call for Scary or Spooky Building Stories.  We asked of this content playfully in October as it’s Halloween season in many parts of the world, but we’re actually quite serious about the idea of sharing worrisome building-related experiences and conditions.  What lessons can we learn from each other to help other people and companies avoid the negative experiences we’ve been through, and what solutions can we share to all move forward together to a time when we all live, work, and play in more sustainable and healthier buildings?  This is what building community is all about.  Thanks, Christopher!
 

For more information about radon and air quality:

Radon and Vapor Control Layers in the 1920sMakeoverATL Showhouse: Pre-Project Testing
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) 101 - An Introduction, and Starting a Wider Conversation
Radon Gas Mitigation in New Construction - A Chance to Get it Right
Map of US Radon Zones: https://www.epa.gov/radon/epa-map-radon-zones