Pressurization

[kurt]

Anyone familiar with pressurization remedial practices? I got a guy buying in Aspen, the house is some kind of wonder-manse on a river, there's a million dollar water management system, and it can't have sub-slab suction. I'm aware that pressurization is a recognized remediation practice, but I've never seen nor heard of one.

Is it a standard practice elsewhere?

(I've already got the guy calling Garet in Denver. If there's anyone else out there you trust, lemme know.)

[Bill Kibbel]

Elevated radon levels and mitigation systems are common here. Pressurization as a reduction method is not.

I've seen only 4. Two were pressurization systems for basements, another for a partial crawlspace. The fourth, I was told was a "whole-house pressurization" system, but I think it was intended to be a "forced ventilation" system used to dilute the indoor air. How could consistent whole house pressurization be obtained if someone opened a window or 5?

All were done after prior sub-slab suction systems failed to reduce the level enough.

According to my AARST guy, pressurization systems should only pressurize the part of the building in contact with the ground at a pressure only slightly higher than the air/gas in the ground. It's usually done by forcing air from the living areas into the basement or sealed crawl.

[kurt]

I've not ever seen one.

The U of M study indicates it's an accepted method, although reduction rates are not always successful as sub slab suction.

I'm leery of the idea; seems like a lot of opportunity for screw ups.