Commercial Radon

It is a common misconception that indoor radon is only a problem for residential properties. While we are certainly most likely to be exposed to indoor radon in our homes, commercial properties are just as prone to radon exposure and even more complicated to mitigate. This is especially true here in Colorado, which has most of its counties sitting in the EPA’s Radon Zone 1, indicating high risk for radon exposure.

Be it an office building, hospital, or apartment complex, it is important to the safety of your staff, tenants, and facility workers that your property be professionally tested and treated for radon. Our NRPP and AARST licensed and certified radon measurement professionals provide comprehensive and unobtrusive radon testing and mitigation services to the many businesses and commercial facilities of Colorado.

Commercial Radon vs. Residential Radon

Radon testing and mitigation is functionally very similar for residential and commercial properties. Where the two diverge is in terms of airflow, structure design, operating hours, and building code restrictions.

  • Airflow: As heated air rises to the top of a home, it creates a vacuum effect, pulling radon up from the soil into your home as the hot air leaves. This is commonly known as the stack effect (or chimney effect). Due to the increased airflow and power of most commercial HVAC systems, this effect is greatly multiplied in commercial properties.

  • Design: The design and size of commercial properties can make them extremely difficult to both test and mitigate. Complicated ventilation systems, multiple floors, and complex designs often result in varying radon levels in office buildings or apartments. This requires testing on multiple floors and multiple mitigation systems to effectively reduce radon levels.

  • Operating Hours: Aside from only being able to test or install mitigation systems outside of business hours in compliance with local noise curfews, buildings such as schools, office buildings, and other similar commercial properties often have large HVAC systems on energy management plans. This causes different levels of ventilation during occupied and unoccupied hours, resulting in the need to test every ground level occupied room to get an accurate reading on radon levels.

  • Building Code Restrictions: Most counties have regulations and restrictions regarding modifications that can be made on existing commercial structures. This includes having to go through a permitting and approval process, but also places strict restrictions on the types of mitigation systems that can be installed at a given property.

Radon Testing & Mitigation in Colorado

As of July 1, 2022, the State of Colorado requires all radon mitigation be performed by a licensed professional. Thankfully, the skilled radon professionals at Radon Resolve are licensed and certified by the National Radon Proficiency Program (NRPP) and the American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists (AARST). We have the skills, training, and tools to handle all commercial and residential radon concerns!