Radon Mitigation

[CYdTracked]

Been putting this off for a couple years now and want to know if anyone here had recommendations on who to use in the Des Moines area for Radon Mitigation and approx. how much did you pay. When we sold our last house we agreed to have it done as part of the sale after it came up on inspection and used Heartland Radon out of Ankeny. I'd have to go look it up but I think that one ran us somewhere close to $1400 maybe?

Our new house we bought a couple years ago just barely exceeded the test threshold but there was a major issue with the furnace that we wound up deciding that the higher dollar item was where we had the best chance of recouping a pricey expense so the radon result we disclosed to them and used that as leverage to get the new furnace since it was unlikely they would pay for both but they knew if we backed out they'd have to disclose both of the issues now so finally getting around to biting the bullet on the radon expense I've put off. Radon mitigation is quite the money maker I bet, it's mostly just PVC pipe and a small fan that usually they just seal up your sump pit which is tiled around your house and vent it outside. Probably doesn't cost more than a few hundred bucks in materials and maybe couple hours to install so I bet the profit margins are pretty nice.

 

[heyguy85]

http://www.westerniowaradon.com/

I have no allegiance to them, but it's another option for you.

 

[ajk4st8]

We used http://mbradon.com/ recently. They did a fine job. I Think they are all pretty similar tbh.

Previously when we sold our house in Ankeny we made it apart of the deal that if the test came back positive we would pay 200 dollars towards mitigation, and if not the buyer could just keep the 200 bucks. Deal worked great for us.

 

[Wesley]

Been putting this off for a couple years now and want to know if anyone here had recommendations on who to use in the Des Moines area for Radon Mitigation and approx. how much did you pay. When we sold our last house we agreed to have it done as part of the sale after it came up on inspection and used Heartland Radon out of Ankeny. I'd have to go look it up but I think that one ran us somewhere close to $1400 maybe? Our new house we bought a couple years ago just barely exceeded the test threshold but there was a major issue with the furnace that we wound up deciding that the higher dollar item was where we had the best chance of recouping a pricey expense so the radon result we disclosed to them and used that as leverage to get the new furnace since it was unlikely they would pay for both but they knew if we backed out they'd have to disclose both of the issues now so finally getting around to biting the bullet on the radon expense I've put off. Radon mitigation is quite the money maker I bet, it's mostly just PVC pipe and a small fan that usually they just seal up your sump pit which is tiled around your house and vent it outside. Probably doesn't cost more than a few hundred bucks in materials and maybe couple hours to install so I bet the profit margins are pretty nice.

Yep, those tight sealed new houses do not help mitigate radon much. The fan reduces the seal. Tradeoff.

 

[wxman1]

I had the same thought on the profit margins when ours was put into our house. We don't have a sump pump though so they did put a new hole in the floor. I would be those fans are a couple hundred a piece though. Ours cost $900 for a total basement size of around 1000 sq ft.

 

[CYdTracked]

Yep, those tight sealed new houses do not help mitigate radon much. The fan reduces the seal. Tradeoff.

Well that is the funny thing though, our current house was built in 2003 tested 5.5 I think and our 1956 built Beaverdale home tested something like 17 or 18 I think. The threshold is 4 for pass/fail after mitigation the new test came back at something like .4 I think, crazy what a small fan and a PVC pipe does for that. I can definitely tell a big difference in the winter between the 2 homes, our current one definitely seals in the warm air better than the drafty old house did. I'm told you could have 2 houses side by side and 1 could test very low and the other test high being only a matter of feet apart. My uncle teaches continued education classes for realtors including one on radon which he's received some recognition for and his advice to me was that radon really isn't really much of an issue in the above ground rooms of your house because you have doors and windows that will vent it out but if you have any bedrooms or rooms you use quite a bit in your basement that is where you should have concerns about the radon level because you'll be exposed to it more than you are anywhere else in the house.

 

[Cyclonepride]

The cost of such things often doesn't have much to do with what is actually done, but what it takes to be certified to do it. Also liability factors.

 

[isufbcurt]

Radon #714 on my things I worry about list.

 

[j4state]

We hired Neighbors Heating and Cooling out of Ames in 2014. Levels went from consistently above 10.0 pCi/L to 0.6 that day. Could not be more pleased with their professionalism and quality of work. ISU alumni.

 

[Wesley]

Well that is the funny thing though, our current house was built in 2003 tested 5.5 I think and our 1956 built Beaverdale home tested something like 17 or 18 I think. The threshold is 4 for pass/fail after mitigation the new test came back at something like .4 I think, crazy what a small fan and a PVC pipe does for that. I can definitely tell a big difference in the winter between the 2 homes, our current one definitely seals in the warm air better than the drafty old house did. I'm told you could have 2 houses side by side and 1 could test very low and the other test high being only a matter of feet apart. My uncle teaches continued education classes for realtors including one on radon which he's received some recognition for and his advice to me was that radon really isn't really much of an issue in the above ground rooms of your house because you have doors and windows that will vent it out but if you have any bedrooms or rooms you use quite a bit in your basement that is where you should have concerns about the radon level because you'll be exposed to it more than you are anywhere else in the house.

The fan reduces radon by evacuation so reading stays low. No fan, radon buildup. Now parts of the country has more radon such as in clay. Yep, if you live in your basement, of course, more concern. 24/7 basement is more concern.

 

[wxman1]

The main reason we did ours which tested at 4.2 was my wife has an in home daycare down there. Aren't they changing it from 4.0 to 2.0?