Issues after radon installation

Des Moines, Iowa
General Real Estate Investing
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Issues after radon installation

Kiraat Boukhari
Rental Property Investor · Des Moines, IA · Member since 2021 · 43 posts · 7 votes

We have this property for more than 5 years with no issues. Few  months ago, we decide to put a radon mitigation system. After the installation , we start having all kind of issues with the house: doors and windows upstairs are suddenly sticking, bubbling walls , raising hardwood floors, ....

Not sure how to proof this but we are 100% positive it is all related to this radon installation.  Any suggestions ??

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Henry ClarkPro Member
Developer · Member since 2020 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
1mo

OP had one installed about 20 years ago, no issues. Have the installer come back out.

The way the system works there should be no interaction or impact with the inside of the house. Under the foundation and exit thru an exhaust in the roof.

The only way it might impact is if there is a leak in the piping in the joints or if condensation is building up in the exhaust pipe inside the house.

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  • Henry ClarkPro Member
    Developer · Member since 2020 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    1mo

    OP had one installed about 20 years ago, no issues. Have the installer come back out.

    The way the system works there should be no interaction or impact with the inside of the house. Under the foundation and exit thru an exhaust in the roof.

    The only way it might impact is if there is a leak in the piping in the joints or if condensation is building up in the exhaust pipe inside the house.

    2Reply
  • Henry ClarkPro Member
    Developer · Member since 2020 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    1mo

    In Iowa also.

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  • Divin KanyamaBusiness Member
    Accountant · Seattle, WA · Member since 2025 · 684 posts · 285 votes
    1mo

    @Kiraat Boukhari The timing makes the radon installation worth investigating, but you’ll need documentation to establish the connection. Take dated photos, preserve the contract and prior inspection records, and notify the installer in writing. Before changing the system, have an independent radon professional and a building or moisture specialist inspect the home and provide written findings. If their reports link the damage to the installation, ask the installer or its insurer to cover the repairs. The timing is important, but an independent assessment will be much stronger evidence.

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  • Steve K.
    Realtor · Boulder, CO · Member since 2016 · 3k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    1mo

    Interesting! It seems very odd that a radon system install would cause any of that to happen. Did the installation include a vapor barrier in a crawl space? I’d ask the company that did the installation to come back and check it out. Maybe they installed the exhaust fan backwards so it’s sucking air from the outside in instead and pressurizing the house in a weird way, lol.

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    • Kiraat Boukhari
      OP
      Rental Property Investor · Des Moines, IA · Member since 2021 · 43 posts · 7 votes
      1mo
      Quote from @Steve K.:

      Interesting! It seems very odd that a radon system install would cause any of that to happen. Did the installation include a vapor barrier in a crawl space? I’d ask the company that did the installation to come back and check it out. Maybe they installed the exhaust fan backwards so it’s sucking air from the outside in instead and pressurizing the house in a weird way, lol.

      Thanks

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  • Henry ClarkPro Member
    Developer · Member since 2020 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    1mo

    Great idea. OP take some talcum powder or other and toss in front of the exhaust fan.

    1Reply
  • Marcus Auerbach
    Investor · Milwaukee - Mequon, WI · Member since 2010 · 5k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    1mo

    Sounds like you have a moisture issue throughout the house. The radon system itself does not do that; that would be saying like I have got new breaks on my car and now the radio is not working anymore.

    A radon system is very low tech: it's a PVC pipe connected to the gravel bed that is under your house and a cheap electric fan blowing air out above the roof line. The only realistic connection to increased humidity is if the PVC pipe is letting rainwater into the house at the penetration point where it exits the siding or the roof.

    But, could also be:

    • your AC condensate line is clogged and now your AC is drowning, or

    • you have a slow plumbing leak, or

    • you have a roof leak, chimney flashing etc.

    Asking the radon guy is an option, but that's a narrow scope. Any experienced GC or home inspector can help you identify the root cause. Damp spots also show up cold on a thermal camera. You don't need a full home inspection with a report, so should be relatively inexpensive.

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