You’ve waited three months. You sent your charcoal canister or alpha-track detector to the lab, and the email finally arrived. You open the PDF, and there it is: a number.
For many Calgary homeowners, seeing a result like 250 Bq/m³ or 600 Bq/m³ feels like a “fail.” But in the world of home health, a high radon reading isn’t a failure—it’s a diagnosis. The good news is that radon is one of the most straightforward environmental hazards to fix.
Here is exactly how to interpret your results and what the next 12 months should look like for your home.
Step 1: Understanding the Number (The Action Levels)
Health Canada and the World Health Organization (WHO) have slightly different “lines in the sand,” but the consensus is clear: lower is always better.
- Under 100 Bq/m³: Congratulations. Your home is well within the safety margins. No action is required, though you should re-test in 5 years or after any major basement renovation.
- 100 to 200 Bq/m³: This is the “Gray Zone.” While it is below the Health Canada action level of 200, the WHO suggests mitigation at 100 Bq/m³. Many Calgarians choose to mitigate here for peace of mind, especially if they have young children spending time in the basement.
- 200 to 600 Bq/m³: Action Required. Health Canada recommends mitigating your home within two years.
- Above 600 Bq/m³: Urgent Action. At these levels, the recommendation is to mitigate within one year.
Important Note: If you used a “Short-Term” test (2–7 days), do not panic yet. Radon levels fluctuate wildly based on weather and wind. Before investing in a mitigation system, verify a short-term “high” with a long-term (90-day) test to get your true annual average.
Step 2: The Professional Consultation
If your long-term results are high, your next step is to call a C-NRPP certified professional. Why certification matters? Radon mitigation isn’t just about plumbing; it’s about pressure.
When a Royal Radon technician arrives at your home, we don’t just start drilling. We perform Pressure Field Extension (PFE) diagnostics. We drill tiny pilot holes in the corners of your basement and use a micro-manometer to see how air moves under your slab. This ensures that the fan we install is the right size—not so small that it’s ineffective, and not so large that it wastes energy or “back-drafts” your furnace.
Step 3: The Mitigation Process (Active Soil Depressurization)
- The Suction Point: We core a 5 inch hole through your basement slab into the soil (or gravel) beneath.
- The Extraction Pit: We remove 10 gallons of gravel and soil to create a “suction pit” that allows the system to pull air from the entire footprint of the house.
- The Fan: A specialized, high-efficiency radon fan is installed typically in the mechanical room, but can be placed elsewhere in the basement as best suited for our clients. This fan runs 24/7, creating a constant vacuum under your floor.
- The Exhaust: The radon gas is sucked out before it ever enters your home and is vented safely to the outdoors, where it dissipates harmlessly into the atmosphere.
Simple and reliable.
Step 4: Sealing the "Leaks"
A system is only as good as the vacuum it creates. As part of the mitigation, we seal:
- Open sump pits (with a clear, bolt-down lid).
- Cracks in the foundation floor.
- The “cove joint” (where the floor meets the wall).
- Gaps around utility pipes.
This not only helps the radon system work better but often has the “side effect” of making your basement feel less damp and smelling “fresher” by reducing soil moisture and odours.
Step 5: Verification
We don’t just walk away once the fan is spinning. Post mitigation testing is an importance and crucial step after installation is completed. Most commonly clients will utilize the monitor that was used to diagnosis the original radon levels, but in the event this monitor is not present, we can leave a digital monitor or a short-term kit to ensure the levels have dropped. In most Calgary homes, we see levels drop from several hundred Bq/m³ to under 75 Bq/m³ within just 24 to 48 hours.
Common Homeowner Questions
In the Calgary area, a professional radon mitigation system typically ranges from $2,000 to $3,500. This includes all diagnostics, materials, labor, and the verification test. Think of it as a one-time investment or a "permanent vaccine" for your home.
Modern radon fans are incredibly quiet. If installed in a mechanical room, you likely won't hear it at all. If the pipe runs through a living space, the sound is comparable to a very quiet bathroom fan or a distant hum.
Most installations are completed in a single day. You don't even need to leave the house while we work.
A high radon result can be startling, but it is one of the few health risks that you can completely eliminate with a single afternoon of work. At Royal Radon, we’re here to help you move from “What now?” to “Breathe easy.”
If you have your lab report or digital monitor in hand, we’re happy to review it with you. Send us your results for a free interpretation and a no-obligation quote for a custom mitigation plan.
Ready to clear the air?
Royal Radon is proud to serve Calgary, Airdrie, Cochrane, Okotoks, and the surrounding areas.
- Testing Recommendations can be found here.
- Already have your results? Contact us for a free, no-obligation mitigation estimate.