Matching the system to Northern Colorado foundations
Loveland's housing stock spans a century, and the right design follows the foundation:
- Full basements (most of the city): classic sub-slab depressurization — one cored
suction point, sometimes two for larger footprints or slabs poured in sections. Homes
from the 70s–90s west of Boyd Lake typically fall here.
- Homes with sump pits and perimeter drain tile: extremely common in Northern
Colorado because of our clay soils and snowmelt. The sump basket, sealed with a gasketed
lid, often makes the ideal suction point — the drain tile already reaches the whole
perimeter, so one connection depressurizes everything. Your pump stays fully accessible.
- Crawlspaces (older Loveland, mountain properties up the Big Thompson):
sub-membrane depressurization — a heavy sealed vapor barrier over the exposed soil with
suction drawn beneath it. Just as effective as a slab system when it's detailed properly.
- Slab-on-grade and split-levels: newer builds east of I-25 and mid-century
split-levels mix foundation types in one house; these often take a combination system —
two suction points on a single fan.
Install day, hour by hour
- First 30 minutes: walkthrough. We confirm the foundation, find utilities, and
agree on the pipe route — interior chase to the attic where possible, a painted exterior
run where it isn't. You veto anything you don't like before a single hole is drilled.
- Morning: core the slab (about a 5-inch hole), excavate the suction pit, set and
seal the pipe. For sump systems: fit and seal the airtight lid.
- Midday: run and strap the vent, mount the fan (attic, garage, or exterior —
never in living space), wire it, install the manometer that shows the system is pulling.
- Afternoon: seal accessible slab cracks and openings, label the system, clean up.
The fan starts and stays on.
- 48 hours later: verification test. You get both numbers — before and after —
in writing. Correctly designed systems routinely land below 2.0, often near outdoor
levels.
Colorado note: the state now licenses radon professionals —
measurement and mitigation work must be performed by state-licensed pros following national
(ANSI-AARST) standards. It's a good-news rule: it pushed the corner-cutters out of the
market. Always ask for licensure, ours included.
What it costs in Loveland
Typical Northern Colorado installs: $1,100 – $1,900
The range is driven by suction-point count, vent routing, and foundation type — a
straightforward sump-lid system sits at the low end, a two-point combination system with an
interior chase at the high end. Crawlspace membranes price by area. Compare that against
what high radon costs a Larimer County home at sale time — it's one of the most common
inspection re-negotiations in the county, and the system usually costs less than the first
price concession a buyer asks for.
After the install
Check the manometer occasionally — two uneven fluid columns means suction, level columns
mean call us. Retest every couple of years like the EPA recommends (levels can shift as
houses settle and soils change), and expect roughly a decade from the fan before it wants
replacing. That's the entire ownership experience: a faint hum, a gauge, and air you don't
have to think about.
Want your number? Request a quote or call
(970) 536-1157 — if you have a test result, have it
handy; if you don't, we'll start there instead.