Radon prevention of a detached house should start already in the design phase

If you are planning to build your own detached house, you should also devote time to consider the radon issues. Prevention of radioactive radon in the construction phase is easier and less expensive than implementing mitigation measures afterwards.

The idea of radon prevention is to prevent radon-containing air from the soil from flowing into the house. The aim should be to keep the radon level as low as possible, as the higher the radon concentration in air and the longer you stay in it, the greater the risk of lung cancer associated with radon.

Olli Holmgren, Senior Inspector at the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, points out that high radon levels in indoor air are possible in almost all of Finland. Therefore, radon-safe construction is always worthwhile.

According to Olli Holmgren, it is not advisable to carry out soil radon measurements on a plot that has not yet been built on, as radon prevention is cheaper than a comprehensive radon survey of an individual plot.

Regardless of how the house is built, it is essential to seal the gaps in the floor and the walls of the basement through which radon could enter the indoor air. Different base floor alternatives are used in detached houses, the most common of which is a ground-supported concrete slab.  It is advisable to build a so-called radon piping system under the ground-supported concrete slab to stop air leaks from the soil if the measurements show that, despite careful construction, there is more radon in the indoor air than permitted by law.