The following are some frequently asked questions about Radon and the average home.
Q. If I paint my basement floor won't that keep radon out of my house?
A. No. The atom of radon is so small that it acts as though there are no solids. Radon passes through rock, steel, concrete as though it was air to you or I.
Q. Because I don't have a basement or slab is it true I don't have to worry about Radon?
A. Absolutely not. Radon is sucked into your home by the vacuum that your home creates by just living there. A crawl space home is just as likely to have Radon in it as a basement or slab home.
Q. If I keep all of my foundation vents open is it true no radon will enter my home. A. No that is also false. Radon will still be sucked into your home because the atom is more apt to be pulled into your home due to the vacuum than pass through the vents in the foundation.
Q. I heard Radon does not cause that many deaths in the United States.
A. Again not true. Cancer caused by radon KILLS more people in the United States than drunk drivers.
Q. Why do you think we don't hear very much about radon and the deaths it causes on the news?
A. The epa feels that is because there is no one to blame with radon because it is naturally occurring.
Q. I heard radon systems are ugly and makes it so you can not sell your home.
A. This could be true but we at FIRST CHOICE R & R try very hard to make your system blend in with your home, and leave you literature on selling your home as radon resistant.
Q. Why should I only use a certified Radon Mitigator?
A. Because they are properly trained in making sure the whole house is mitigated.
Q. I have seen some companies put the fan inside the home. Why can't I do that?
A. First off it is against the EPA-NEHA-NRPP mitigation standards. This is because if the pipe were ever to fail the radon would be pumped into your home at a rate of 230 cfp. There fore we always mount the fan outside all living space or where there is no living space above the system.
Q. When you are done installing the system how much maintence is there for me to do?
A. None. Our system is maintence free for life. (except if the fan fails then we replace the fan.)
Q. Why do you offer a five year warranty and no one else does?
A. Because we stand behind our work and it is the right thing to do.
Q. Does the warranty go with the purchaser or the home?
A. The Warranty goes with the home no matter how many times it is sold.
Q. What is the highest reading home (pCi/l) that you have had to mitigate in our area (wake and Durham counties) ?
A. 75.4 pCi/l and we lowered that level down to 0.3 pCi/l after mitigation.
Q. In all of your testing what is your overall average reading of radon in our area?
A. Our average is quite different than that of the epa reports. We have found if you take all of our readings and average them together it shows an average of 8.6 pCi/l.
Q. What is your average reading after Mitigation?
A. Our company average is 0.6 pCi/l. We try new techniques everyday to obtain the absolute lowest reads possible. We also are in weekly contact with the epa to let them know where we are finding high readings as well as the low reading.
Q. Is it true if my neighbor had low readings my readings will also be low?
A. No. Your neighbor's readings high or low will have no bearing on your readings. 1 in 15 homes has high levels and should be mitigated.
Q. If you have such good results why then do I need to retest in 2 years?
A. Good question. That is because your home may develop new cracks in the floor or foundtion or the membrane on a crawlspace that need to be sealed to keep the vacuum we have created under your home
