Radon mitigation · Central Pennsylvania
Living healthy starts from the ground up.
You cannot see, smell or taste radon, but it may be a problem in your home. Appalachian Environmental Group is a family owned, PA DEP certified mitigation company. Install a mitigation system today.
- 1 in 15
- U.S. homes is estimated to have an elevated radon level
- 21,000
- lung cancer deaths are linked to radon every year
- 40%
- of Pennsylvania homes test above the EPA action level, according to PA DEP
- 4 pCi/L
- is the level at which the EPA says to fix your home
The gas
What radon is and how it gets inside.
What is radon?
Radon is a cancer-causing radioactive gas. You cannot see, smell or taste radon, but it may be a problem in your home. The Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today.
Radon forms naturally as uranium breaks down in soil, rock and water. Outdoors it thins out into the air and is not much of a concern. Indoors it is a different story: the gas seeps up from the ground, gets trapped inside, and builds up to levels that can harm the people living there.
Any home can have a radon problem. That includes new homes and old homes, drafty homes and well-sealed homes, and homes with or without a basement. Two houses on the same street can have very different levels.
How radon gets into a home
- Cracks in solid floors
- Construction joints
- Cracks in walls
- Gaps in suspended floors
- Gaps around service pipes
- Cavities inside walls
- Sump pits and crawl spaces
- The water supply, especially private wells
The risk
Why radon matters, and why it matters here.
What's the risk?
Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, according to EPA estimates. Overall, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year. About 2,900 of these deaths occur among people who have never smoked.
The risk grows with the radon level and with the years you spend breathing it. For people who smoke, radon exposure makes the risk of lung cancer especially high. There are no immediate symptoms, so the only warning you will ever get is a test result.
Reading a radon test result
For comparison, the EPA puts the average indoor level at about 1.3 pCi/L and the average outdoor level at about 0.4 pCi/L.
Testing
The only way to know your level.
Testing is the only way to know
Because radon gives no warning signs, the EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing every home below the third floor.
Short-term tests
Stay in the home from 2 to 90 days. They are the quickest way to find out whether you may have a problem, and are common during real estate sales.
Long-term tests
Stay in the home for more than 90 days. Radon levels change from day to day and season to season, so a long-term test gives a better picture of your year-round average.
- Test in the lowest level of the home that is lived in.
- Keep windows and outside doors closed as much as possible during a short-term test.
- In Pennsylvania, anyone who tests for radon as a business must be certified by PA DEP.
- If your result is 4 pCi/L or higher, it is time to talk about a mitigation system.
Mitigation
How a system lowers the radon in your home.
What is radon mitigation?
A radon mitigation system is any system or steps designed to reduce radon concentrations in the indoor air of a building. The EPA recommends that you take action to reduce your home's indoor radon levels if your radon test result is 4 pCi/L or higher.
According to the EPA, some radon reduction systems can lower the radon level in a home by up to 99 percent. This is how a typical system works:
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Suction point
A suction point is created beneath the foundation, where radon collects in the soil under the home.
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Vent pipe
Sealed pipe runs from the suction point up and out, ending above the roofline.
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Radon fan
A fan runs continuously, drawing the gas from under the home and venting it outdoors before it can enter your living space.
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Retest
A follow-up radon test confirms that indoor levels have dropped below the EPA action level.
Questions
What homeowners ask most.
Is there a safe level of radon?
No level of radon is considered completely safe. The EPA recommends fixing your home at 4 pCi/L or higher, and suggests you consider fixing it when the level is between 2 and 4 pCi/L.
My neighbor's house tested low. Do I still need to test?
Yes. Radon levels can be very different from one house to the next, even on the same street. The only way to know your level is to test your own home.
Can a new home, or a home without a basement, have radon?
Yes. Radon has been found in every type of home: new and old, drafty and well-sealed, with a basement, on a slab or over a crawl space.
How much will a mitigation system lower my radon level?
The EPA says some radon reduction systems can lower radon levels by up to 99 percent. A test after installation shows what the system achieved in your home.
Do I need to test again after a system is installed?
Yes. A test after installation confirms the system is working, and the EPA suggests retesting every two years, or after any major renovation, to make sure levels stay low.
Who is allowed to do radon work in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania requires anyone who tests for or mitigates radon as a business to be certified by the Department of Environmental Protection. Appalachian Environmental Group is a PA DEP certified mitigation company.
What will a system cost for my home?
Every home is different. The foundation, layout and radon level all affect the design of a system. Contact us and we can talk through your home.
Radon facts on this page come from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the PA Department of Environmental Protection. Read more at epa.gov/radon.
About us
Your local experts in radon mitigation.
We are a family owned business based out of Loganton, PA, which was started in 2005 by George Conklin III and his son George Conklin IV. Appalachian Environmental Group is a PA DEP certified mitigation company.
- Family ownedFather and son
- PA DEPCertified mitigation
- 2005Year founded
Service area
Appalachian Environmental Group proudly serves Central Pennsylvania and surrounding areas.
- State College
- Lock Haven
- Williamsport
- Altoona
- Bellefonte
- Danville
- Bloomsburg
- Mifflinburg
- Loganton
Contact us
Install a mitigation system today.
Call us or send a message and we'll get back to you.
- Toll free 866-471-9995
- Mobile 570-295-0697
- Fax 570-244-2203
- Email info@aeradon.com
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Location
1351 W. Winter Road
Loganton, PA 17747