Radon work

[Tom7227]

My daughter is trying to sell her home and a buyer had an inspection done and it came up with a radon reading of 7.4. Buyer wants a pro to do the remediation. One company sent a proposal for $1300 without even looking at the place. They plan on cutting the floor, putting in some gravel and then putting a pipe up with a fan.

I guess I don't understand how a hole full of gravel that has air sucked out of it is going to do much of anything. The house is 40 years old. Most likely there is dirt, hopefully some sand, and then cement. Seems to me that it's sort of like sucking air out of a bottle. Can't be any air coming from under the floor as far as I can tell, at least not logically.

Can anyone explain to me how this thing is supposed to work.

I am not all that enamored with an outfit that sends a proposal that is basically a pre-printed form that charges the same amount no matter what. Thoughts on that? Two more companies have been contacted but nothing back yet.

Thanks for your time.

Tom

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

Pretty typical price. Really, they are about the same from house to house, aside from the amount of PVC pipe they will use to vent the system outside. All the systems either drill through the floor (or start in the sump basket in the newer houses), run straight up to a small fan, and vent outside. Really simple. Lots of profit in these systems.

I don't know how it works, but I've had a dozen or so houses test high in the last year, and all of them have had readings of zero (or within a few tenths) once the system is installed.

You may try Fix It M N dot com without spaces for another option. He quoted me a price last week for under that $1300 for his typical jobs. I haven't used him yet, but his family is well known in the industry, and he seems like a good guy.

[BoxMN]

Drop the price by $700 and tell buyer she is on her own if she wants it, or buyer can pocket the money, whatever she/he wants.

I did that with a buyer who wanted me to pay for home insurance - told her I would drop the price by $400 and I didn't care what she did with it. She took the $$ and not sure but I got it sold, and that was in 2007... gulp... I was lucky to even get it sold during that time frame...

[leechlake]

my father in law is an engineer and the biggest DIY guy I've ever known. He once moved his old house to a new spot without using a moving company, did it himself.

Last Fall he had a similar radon problem and he hired a company to do what you described. He had a monitor set up along with the system and within a few months the readings were in the acceptable range. Just a simple hole in basement floor and a fan and vent.

[Getanet]

I had one put in a year ago for around $1,100 in the South Metro. $1,300 sounds about right. Took a few hours for the guy to install it. However, there are two options - run the fan/piping through the wall and up the exterior of your house (which I did) or run through the interior of your house and through the attic. I'm assuming running it through the interior of your home would be more expensive.

Installation seemed fairly standard, not surprised they could give a quote without seeing the home first.

[StillwaterAaron]

I am a Licensed Home Inspector and Certified Radon Measurement specialist.

Radon Mitigation is very simple in 99% of homes and A DIY job materials cost is around $400 if you have all the tools needed.

Mitigation is up to 99% effective. Once the mitigation system is requested by the buyers it is better to have a company install the system for you because after the system is installed it needs to be tested to ensure the mitigation worked.

Subfloor depressurization is the name for the mitigation. IT creates lower pressure under the floor so the ground air does not enter the house.

As for the soil below the house you would be surprised how much air flow there is under the house. Many companies will drill test holes and use a smoke pen to ensure there is suction through the entire floor.

Typical cost is $1000-1500 but the cost is likely going to rise very soon due to MN laws costing testers and mitgators much more in licensing.

[StillwaterAaron]

Running it through the house is more expensive but also more effective. The fan must be outside the living space also.

Tom what city is this house in? I could recommend 2 good companies for quotes.

[Tom7227]

Running it through the house is more expensive but also more effective. The fan must be outside the living space also.

Tom what city is this house in? I could recommend 2 good companies for quotes.

Mahtomdi Please send me a private message with the info. Thanks.

[StillwaterAaron]

Tom Send me an email at aaron at acerinspections dot com

It told me you are over your private conversation limit.

[Tom7227]

Aaron, email sent as suggested. Thanks.

[StillwaterAaron]

Back at you Tom...as of yesterday. Hope you got it. I know that whole house selling can be stressful.