When a family in Kent needed an effective way to lower Radon levels in their home Timberwise were called upon to provide an effective solution. Through our specialist Envirowise division we were able to recommend the most effective way of lowering the Radon gas levels in the property.

Ordinarily,  it is always best to stop Radon entering a house. In some cases though this is not practical and other Radon reducing techniques have to be employed. The aim in both cases is to reduce indoor radon levels to significantly below the Action Level.  The Health Protection Agency (HPA) recommends that Radon levels should be reduced in homes where the average is greater than 200 becquerels per cubic metre (Bq/m3). The government has also endorsed this recommendation. The Action Level refers to the annual average concentration of Radon in a home.

Radon measurements are carried out with two detectors (often placed in a bedroom and living room) for three months to average out short- term variations. If you require a Radon test kit Envirowise can help! 

There are five main ways to achieve a reduction in Radon levels in a property . Depending on the kind of property and the amount of Radon reduction that is required the following  could be utilised to lower Radon levels:

A Install a Radon fan

B Improve ventilation under suspended timber floors 

C Use positive ventilation in your house 

D Seal cracks and gaps in solid concrete floors 

E Change the way your house is ventilated

If you need to reduce your indoor Radon level by a large amount, and your house has a solid concrete floor a Radon fan is the perfect solution.  This method can be very effective and is usually the best choice. In some cases it has been found to  reduce indoor Radon levels by as much as 90 per cent. The short video below shows the fitting of a Radon fan for our client.

To install the Radon fan we used a wall mounted corer to initially drill through the wall below the damp proof course and into the substrate to form a sump. The sump is necessary as this is where ultimatley the Radon will be extracted from. A ’sleeve’ then connects the Radon fan to the sump allowing extraction of Radon gas from beneath the property. The Radon is then vented to free air at roof height where the Radon is safely dispersed and diluted. For more information on Radon gas read our Radon advice leaflet.

If you suspect you have a problem with Radon in your property Envirowise can help. Simply call 0800 288 8661 or eMail our Radon Gas Expert for further Radon advice. For more information on areas with Radon gas check out the HPA Radon map.