Radon is not an unknown danger in homes, but it is just now coming to the forefront of our consciousnesses. Unfortunately, we cannot completely eliminate exposure to the dangers associated with radon. We can, however, bring the radon we find outdoors down to relatively safe levels and install filtration and air quality systems to help collect and remove the alpha particles responsible for lung damage that can lead to cancer.
When selecting a radon mitigation company, it’s critical to choose one certified in mitigation with a core understanding of radon and its dangerous byproducts. That is exactly what you’ll find with Dr. Crawlspace.
You may be surprised to learn that radon gas is not the enemy. Radon is a naturally occurring, inert (inactive, non-harming) substance – but it is a bit unstable. As radon decays, it gives off alpha particles. Your skin naturally protects you against these particles. However, those same alpha particles are a lot more damaging to your sensitive lung tissue. This lung damage can lead to cancer. And this is the damage we are trying to mitigate. While we can’t completely eliminate exposure to those alpha particles, the lower the exposure level, the lower the risk for cancer!
This gives us two things to target in the home that will reduce the risk as much as possible: alpha particles and the radon gas that emit them.
Radon Mitigation
Radon is naturally emitted by the Earth and then diffused into the atmosphere. Elevated radon is caused by natural gas emissions collecting in your home. The most effective way to mitigate radon levels is to isolate and collect that naturally occurring gas and vent it out into the atmosphere above your home.
Alpha Particle Reduction
As radon emits dangerous alpha particles, they fly around your home looking for something to adhere to. This means that stagnant air is the enemy! Moving air encourages adhesion to walls, floors, ceilings, and furniture (rather than your family) and renders those particles inert. Running the air in your home through a fine filter system removes these particles from the air. Adding an interior airflow and filtration system will mitigate the radon level in your home by keeping the alpha particles away from your loved ones!
Unlike water mitigation, there is no tangible evidence associated with radon infiltration. A homeowner would “see” anything firsthand that could be conveyed through photographs or videos, for example. Invisible problem, right? This would make it very easy for a company that performs radon testing AND mitigation to diagnose and treat an issue that never existed. We prefer to avoid this ethical conundrum and have elected to focus strictly on radon and alpha particle mitigation – which is more in line with the other products and services we offer.