The sub-slab suction method is the most popular. This involves using a fan to ventilate soil gas away from the foundation by means of individual pipes which are inserted into the area under the concrete slab. Ms. Filley finds that home owners sometimes balk at assuming the expense for radon mitigation simply because they may have lived in the home for many years and have suffered no ill effects. But after losing a sale or two because they won't address the problem, they usually realize that times have changed and that these test results really do affect the value of their home. The presence of lead in a home usually originates in paint that dates from before 1978, the year the U.S. government banned the sale of lead paint in this country.
Many older homes contain lead paint.
Even after several coats of lead-free paint have been applied on top of paint containing lead, the lead can still seep through. There is a special paint on the market which actually encapsulates lead paint, but it tends to be expensive. And many home owners are simply not aware of the presence of lead paint in their homes because they did not apply it. Antique homes are especially susceptible and soil outside the home can be contaminated if exterior lead paint is sandblasted off during renovation. There are local companies that specialize in this area and can give excellent guidance in addressing the problem if it is found to exist.