Radon Testing and Mitigation

Very often we find that homes with Radon problems have other problems relating to air-leakage, ventilation, insulation, combustion safety, and condensation/moisture. For this reason, our first recommendation for anyone with a tested or suspected radon problem is to have a Comprehensive Energy Audit performed on their home or business along with radon testing as appropriate.: The image above shows a very basic “active” radon mitigation system in a home with a basement

Energetechs does have extensive experience installing radon mitigation systems in homes and businesses in and around Missoula, Montana. However we no longer offer radon testing or mitigation services. Since we no longer offer these services we would like to recommend:

For testing: Complete Home Inspections; Lamar Rase –

For Mitigation: Chris Holiday –

Radon Testing in Missoula

Missoula, Montana is officially in Radon Zone 1 which means there is an elevated risk of finding radon in homes. Radon levels vary tremendously throughout our area so the only way to be sure that you don’t have a problem is to have a radon test done on your house. Energetechs offers Radon Testing for both homes and businesses in Western Montana. We use state-of-the-art electronic testing equipment that provides very accurate results including charts that show how radon levels vary during the testing period.

An initial radon test runs for 48 hours. If the average radon level during that time is above the EPA action level of 4 pCi/L we recommend that a longer test be performed. If this shows that there is a problem then the next step is radon mitigation.

Missoula Radon Mitigation

Mitigating radon infiltration in an existing home involves preventing the radon from the ground from entering the air inside the building. This can be partially accomplished by sealing any cracks, holes, or gaps in the floor or foundation walls that are in contact with the ground. If the home has a crawl space it is very important that the ground be covered with durable and well-sealed vapor barrier.

Radon Piping

The next step is to provide a ventilation system to allow the radon from the ground under the house to escape to the outdoors. This requires the installation of a pvc pipe from below the floor to above the roof. In a new house there will also be a gas permeable layer (e.g. gravel) and possibly additional piping placed under the floor slab. In a crawl space there will be additional pipes placed horizontally around the perimeter of the crawl space UNDER the sealed vapor barrier.

Passive Radon Venting

In a “passive” radon system, the pipe that goes up through the roof does not have a fan on it. In a passive system the pipe has to be inside the home so that the heat from the home warms the air in the pipe causing a chimney effect which helps to draw radon up the pipe from under the floor. If you have a passive system it is important to have the radon levels in the home checked from time to time to ensure that you don’t have a radon problem. If you find a problem it should be relatively easy to add a fan to the system to make it an “active” system. So make sure that you install the pipe in a location that will allow for a fan (and condensate bypass) to be installed easily in the future.

Active Radon System

An “active” radon venting system has a fan installed on the pipe to force radon from the ground up and out. The fan must be outside the conditioned space of the building so either in an unheated attic or outside the building altogether. With an active system you can run the pipe up the outside wall, it doesn’t have to go inside the home. It is important to periodically check that the fan is running and the system is working when you have an active radon system. It is also important that you install a “condensate bypass” to ensure that condensation inside the pipe does not run back into the fan because this can dramatically shorten the life of the fan.

Experienced Installers in Missoula

Energetechs has extensive experience testing radon levels and installing both active and passive radon mitigation systems in both new and existing homes in and around Missoula, Montana. Since we no longer offer these services we would like to recommend: