Bill Passed for Radon Resistant New Home Construction

The Oregon House passed a bill Monday that requires all new buildings in the state be Radon resistant, Kristian Foden-Vencil of OPB News reported.

It’s a pretty interesting move on Oregon’s part in the fight against radon exposure. We are starting to see more and more of this happening. Several states have enacted radon resistant policies for new construction. Montana for instance adopted this on a state wide basis a couple years ago. In other states, such as Colorado, West Virginia, and Virginia just to name a few, we are seeing specific counties within a state that are adopting radon resistant policies for new construction, usually in those counties where the potential for elevated radon levels in homes is high. These are classified as Zone 1 on the EPA radon potential maps.

Wondering what exactly radon resistant construction means? According to the EPA, "New homes can be built to resist radon entry. The additional cost at the time of construction is minimal. When installed properly, the basic radon-resistant new construction techniques greatly reduce the lung cancer risk that may occur from radon in the home." The following is excerpted from the EPA site. While the techniques may vary for different house foundations and building site requirements, the five basic features that all builders should include to prevent radon from entering your home are:

1. Gravel: A 4-inch layer of clean, coarse gravel below the “slab,” also called the foundation. This layer of gravel allows the soil gases—including radon—that occur naturally in the soil to move freely underneath the house. Builders call this the “air flow layer or gas permeable layer” because the loose gravel allows the gases to circulate.
2. Plastic Sheeting or Vapor Retarder: Heavy duty plastic sheeting (6 mil. polyethylene) or a vapor retarder is placed on top of the gravel to prevent the soil gases from entering the house. The sheeting also keeps the concrete from clogging the gravel layer when the slab is poured.
3. A Vent Pipe: A 3-inch or 4-inch solid PVC Schedule 40 pipe, like the ones commonly used for plumbing, runs vertically from the gravel layer (stubbed up when the slab is poured) through the house’s conditioned space and roof to safely vent radon and other soil gases outside above the house. (Although serving a different purpose, this vent pipe is similar to the drain waste vent—DWV—installed by the plumber.) This pipe should be labeled "Radon System." Your plumber or a certified radon professional can do this. Visit NEHA/NRPP or NRSB to find out how to find a qualified radon service provider in your area.
4. Sealing and Caulking: All openings, cracks, and crevices in the concrete foundation floor (including the slab perimeter crack) and walls are sealed with polyurethane caulk to prevent radon and other soil gases from entering the home.
5. Junction Box: Install an electrical junction box (outlet) in the attic for use with a vent fan, should, after testing for radon, a more robust system be needed.

If you are building a new home, do your research and consider the benefits! It's great that these measures are becoming more standard on new homes. It is very important however to add that radon resistant construction techniques do not necessarily stop radon from entering a home. It is a passive system and these techniques certainly prepare the home to be resistant to radon entry. It is always very important to test for radon after the home is finished. If radon is still a problem, this passive system can be easily and inexpensively converted into an active system which in most cases will fix the radon problem. Remember also that if you do not have radon resistant new construction features built into your new home, it can cost much more to remedy if you find you have an elevated level of radon during your post construction radon testing.