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Radon Guard – A Helpful Tool, but Not the Only Solution for a Safer Home

You can’t see it, smell it, or taste it, but radon gas may be building up in your home and putting your health at risk. The good news is you can test for it and more importantly, you can fix the problem.

A Danger You Can’t See
When we think about the dangers that can harm us in our homes, we often focus on fires, floods, or broken pipes. However, radon gas is one of the most significant threats we cannot detect with our senses.

This gas silently seeps up from the ground and can accumulate inside our homes without our awareness. Breathing it over extended periods, months or even years, can lead to serious health issues, including lung cancer. In fact, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, following smoking.

Where Does Radon Come From
Radon is a naturally occurring gas formed underground as certain radioactive elements in soil and rocks break down. It can rise to the surface and enter homes through various pathways, such as cracks in the basement, construction joints, around pipes, sump pits, and even through small pores in concrete. Because radon is a gas, it needs very little space to permeate; even a hairline crack can allow it to enter.

Why Radon Matters in Kelowna
If you live in Kelowna or the Okanagan Valley, you are in an area with a higher risk of radon exposure. The natural soil and rock formations in this region tend to release elevated levels of radon gas. Health Canada recommends that indoor radon levels remain below 200 Bq/m3 (becquerels per cubic meter). However, many homes in the area, whether newly built or older, exceed this recommended limit. Airtight, energy-efficient homes, such as Net-Zero houses, are particularly vulnerable to radon buildup if appropriate mitigation systems are not in place. For this reason, it is essential to test every home, regardless of its age or how well it was constructed.

How to Fight Back
Protecting your family from radon is straightforward:

  1. Test your home, especially during colder months when windows are closed.
  2. If radon levels are high, install a radon mitigation system.
  3. Seal foundation cracks, improve ventilation, and use radon-resistant materials during construction or
    renovations.

What is Radon Guard
Radon Guard is an effective material for helping prevent radon from entering your home. It is a rigid
insulation board installed beneath the concrete slab during construction. This layer serves a dual
purpose. It provides insulation to help keep your floors warmer and reduce energy costs. It also creates a
space for radon gas to move beneath the slab and be safely vented outside. It can also take the place of
thick gravel layers, making the construction process easier and supports more environmentally friendly
building practices.

But here’s the key message: Radon Guard is one helpful solution, but it is not the only option available for protecting your home from radon exposure.

What Does the Building Code Require
According to the 2024 BC Building Code (Article 9.13.4.3), homes in radon-prone areas must include:

  • A gas-permeable layer, such as 100 mm of clean gravel, underneath the slab.
  • A radon barrier, like 6-10 mil polyethylene sheeting.
  • A vent pipe that directs radon gas to the outside, preferably through the roof.
  • Sealing at joints, slab edges, and pipe penetrations.

This requirement is performance-based, which means that builders can fulfill it in various ways as long as the solution is effective. Radon Guard is one option, but it is not the only method approved by the code.

Other Proven Solutions That Work
For years, builders have successfully used a variety of approaches that meet the letter and intent of the building code. These include:

  • Gravel + Poly + Vent Stack: A simple, reliable, and cost-effective method that is easy to install and
    inspect.
  • Sealed Membrane Systems: Utilizing durable polyethylene sheeting with taped seams and sealed
    penetrations.
  • Passive Venting Systems with Future Fan Activation: This system allows for upgrades post-occupancy if radon levels exceed Health Canada’s guideline.

All of these options comply with code requirements and are often better suited for homes with challenging layouts or complex plumbing configurations.

Real Results You Can Trust – How the Next Generation Net-Zero Home Tackles Radon
In the Next Generation Net-Zero Home (Next-Gen Home), great care was taken to ensure the home is comfortable, energy-efficient, and safe to live in, beginning with the foundation.

A Radon Guard layer is installed underneath the concrete floor for enhanced radon protection. This smart layer serves two important purposes simultaneously. Firstly, it captures and directs radon gas
away from the living space, preventing it from entering the home. Secondly, it functions as an insulation layer, which helps the home maintain energy efficiency and comply with building codes.

It’s important to note that before the radon mitigation system was activated, radon levels were measured at 13.7 pCi/L (approximately 506 Bq/m3), which is more than twice the Health Canada guideline of 200 Bq/m3. This highlighted the urgent need for a reliable and effective mitigation strategy.

After activating the mitigation system in the Next-Gen home, Radon Guard proved its worth. Over two months of monitoring, radon levels stayed mostly between 40 and 120 Bq/m3, with only small spikes up to about 160–180 Bq/m3. Importantly, the levels remained well below the danger threshold throughout the entire period, helping to keep the home’s air clean and healthy, even though it was tightly sealed to improve energy efficiency.

Building Smarter, Healthier Homes
In today’s world, building a smart home is not only about saving energy. It is also about caring for the health and safety of the people who live inside. With thoughtful planning and materials like Radon Guard or other effective solutions, we can create homes that are healthier, safer, and ready for the future.

You might not see radon, but you can take steps to keep it out. By taking simple steps to reduce exposure, you can help protect your family and enjoy cleaner, healthier air at home.

The Next Generation Home sold in spring 2023 and data is being collected through sensors while the owners live in the house. Findings are being published on wildenlivinglab.com regularly. To follow the Wilden Living Lab, subscribe to the newsletter.

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