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For*
To gain more information .
about building a radon-resistant
house or testing an existing home,
please contact the Radon Office in your State.
LIST OF STATE RADON OFFICES
AND PHONE NUMBERS
(Please note that the "800" numbers listed below are for in-state use only).
Alabama 1-800-862-1866
Alaska 1-800-478-8324
Arizona (602) 255-4845
Arkansas (501)661-2301
California 1-800-745-7236
Colorado 1-800-846-3986
Connecticut (860)509-7367
Delaware ..(302)739-4731
Dist. of Col (202) 727-5728
Florida 1-800-543-8279
Georgia 1-800-745-0037
Hawaii (808) 586-4700
Idaho 1-800-445-8647
Ilinois 1-800-325-1245
Indiana 1-800-272-9723
Iowa , 1-800-383-5992
Kansas .........1-800-693-5343
Kentucky (502) 564-4856
Louisiana 1-800-256-2494
Maine 1-800-232-0842
Maryland 1 -877-352-1973
Massachusetts (413) 586-7525
Michigan 1 -800-723-6642
Minnesota 1-800-798-9050
Mississippi , 1-800-626-7739
Missouri, 1-800-669-7236
Montana (406) 444-6697
Nebraska.. 1-800-334-9491
Nevada ...; (702) 687-5394x275
New Hampshire (603) 271-4674
New Jersey 1-800-648-0394
New Mexico (505) 827-1557
New York 1-800-458-1158
North Carolina (919) 571-4141
North Dakota.... (701) 328-5188
Ohio i 1-800-523-4439
Oklahoma (405)271-7634
Oregon ...: (503) 731-4014
Pennsylvania 1-800-237-2366
Rhode Island (401) 222-2438
South Carolina 1-800-768-0362
South Dakota (605) 773-3351
Tennessee 1-800-232-1139
Texas (512)834-6688
Utah 1-800-458-0145
Vermont.... 1-800-439-8550
Virginia'.... 1-800-468-0138
Washington (360) 236-3253
West Virginia 1-800-922-1255
Wisconsin.... 1-888-569-7236
Wyoming .....1-800-458-5847
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z Xtie Final "Word
only way to know if your new home has a radon
tern.- is to test. The EPA recommends that average annu-
l ir||oor radon levels do not exceed 4 pCi/L If your home is
Irilf with a passive radon system, you should test it immedi-
|ely: after moving in to make sure that radon levels are
ppwlhe. EPA guideline. Remember: If your radon level is
/i/feor above, a fan can be installed easily to lower radon
[sjfl/ell below this guideline.
fgyen if you must install a fan, adding a radon control
to a house under construction is much less expen-
ihan.installing one after the house is built. The average
:ost for a radon control system in an existing house is
gpfefi $500 and $2,500. Adding radon-resistant construc-
fl'nbw will save you unnecessary expense and worry later.
Fcwr
©etailed model building standards, architectural draw-
ngs of radon systems, and fact sheets on alternative radon
Nations are available from EPA at no charge by phoning
|0;-55-RADON or by visiting the EPA website at
'•jfwwW.epa.gov/iaq/radon.
pur builder can also obtain information on radon-resis-
PWrtstruction techniques from the National Association of
i^. Builders — "Building Radon Resistant Homes: A
$lder's Independent Study Kit."
lfi<»' • •
i. ^'growing number of municipalities located in areas
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Zone 1
areas have
predicted
average radon
levels at or above the
, EPA's 4.0 picp-Curies per
r ;;••liter IpCi/L} a^ipri jevel.;.
Xp'Ci/Lis Vffieaiurii'-o'f ;'fiier
amount of radioactivity in a known I
quantity of air.) To determine in which j
radon zone your new house will be
built, please contact your State radon j
office listed on the back of this
brochure. If you are building in a Zone 1
county, you should include a radon
control system in your new home. It is
an inexpensive addition to the total cost
of your house and is an easy way to
protect you and your family.
. Tails: -to Yoiair .
You and your builder can design
your new house to be radon resistant.
For $350 to $500, on average, your
builder can take the following four
simple steps to deter radon from
entering your home.
• Install a layer of clean gravel or
aggregate beneath the slab or
flooring system.
° Lay polyethylene sheeting on top of
the gravel, layer.
• Include a gas-tight venting pipe
from the gravel layer through the
building to the roof.
* Seal and caulk the foundation
thoroughly.
These
construction
techniques
will be familiar
to your builder. .
There is nb.need to
hire.a special contractor
; br architect. Many builders "'^
already incorporate some of
these steps into the construction
of their houses to control moisture
or increase energy efficiency. In
fact, radon-resistant construction
techniques can be found in the 1 995
version of the One-and-Two
Family Dwelling Code published
by the Council of American
Building Officials.
m.. JEtactori.
The radon-resistant construction
•techniques described; in this
brochure comprise a "passive" radon
system. This system overcomes the
vacuum effect experienced by most
houses by creating a pressure
barrier to radon entry. The system
also includes a pipe to vent radon gas
safely to the outdoors.
Sometimes a passive radon
system isn't enough to prevent radon
from entering a house. In this case, a
fan can be installed to pull the radon
gas from the underlying soil into the
vent pipe where it can be exhausted
outside the house. The addition of a
fan and its associated wiring creates
an "active" radon system.
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