How builders can keep radon from entering a home

As the world has changed, so, too, have home buyers. The home buyers of today typically want homes that align with life in the 21st century. That means extra outlets for all of our devices and homes pre-wired for high speed internet access.

Housing starts, which refers to the number of new residential construction sites, reflect buyers’ demand for newly built homes. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were slightly more than 1.2 million housing starts in September 2018, which marked a sizable increase from a year prior, when 1.158 million new residential constructions broke ground.

Though prospective buyers want a host of modern amenities, they also want something valued by homeowners since the dawn of time: safety. Security systems can safeguard homeowners and their families from criminals, but homeowners also must ensure steps are taken to protect a home’s inhabitants from naturally occurring threats, including radon.

Radon is a radioactive gas that is produced from the natural breakdown of the uranium found in most rocks and soil. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, exposure to radon gas is the secondleading cause of lung cancer in the United States.

Because it’s naturally occurring, radon can infiltrate any home. However, the EPA, working alongside state and federal geologists, has developed maps that predict the potential indoor radon levels for every county in the country. (Note: Radon can pose a health risk when breathed in through outdoor air, but such instances are unusual because radon is typically diluted in open air.) Each county has been assigned a zone depending on its potential radon threat, and those that pose the biggest threat are designated as Zone 1, while those with the lowest threat are Zone 3. Homeowners building their homes can contact their state’s radon office via epa.gov to determine which zone their property is in.

In addition to learning which radon zone they’re in, homeowners building new homes can ask their builders to take the following measures so their homes’ interiors are as resistant to radon as possible.

• Install a layer of clean gravel or aggregate beneath the slab or flooring system.

• Lay polyethylene sheeting on top of the gravel layer.

• Include a gas-tight venting pipe from the gravel level through the building to the roof.

• Seal and caulk the foundation thoroughly.

Learn more about radon, including how to determine radon levels in your home, at epa.gov.