Understanding Radon

What is Radon, and why do you need to test for it?

Radon gas is a naturally occurring gas that is present in the atmosphere. It is inert, colorless, and odorless.

Although this is a naturally-occurring gas, breathing it over time can cause lung cancer. Radon gas is generally not a health concern outside because it disperses rapidly, but once it enters your home and gets stuck, that’s when you need to be concerned about it.

How does Radon gas get into your home?

Radon gas gets trapped indoors after it seeps through cracks and other holes in the foundation of a building, construction joints, or any gaps in the house; With this in mind, no home is safe from this gas. Even homes that don’t have a basement or crawlspace can have a high radon level.

Radon is unpredictable

No house is safe from Radon. Even homes built with the same material, at the same time, can have vastly different radon levels. As such, to provide peace of mind, the EPA recommends testing your home after any lifestyle changes, renovations, and every two years as part of routine home maintenance.

How do I test for Radon gas level?

A radon test can be short-term or long-term. Test that lasts less than 90 days, usually between 2-7 days, are considered short term, while tests that last more than 90-days are long term. Short-term tests are popular with home buyers because of the quick turnaround, getting results before their termination date. Homebuyers can use a DIY kit to measure radon level or hire a professional to use professionally calibrated devices to measure radon level for them.

I got the test results; What do I do next?

If the Radon Test result is equal to or higher than 4 pCi/L, you need to contact an NRPP certified mitigation specialist to fix your home. Usually, radon problems get fixed by installing a radon mitigation system or increasing the rate of air changes in the house. Radon levels lower than 4 pCi/L may still be lowered for peace of mind.

For additional information, please reference the EPA’s “Citizen’s Guide to Radon” for a comprehensive explanation of Radon gas and its hazards. https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-02/documents/2012_a_citizens_guide_to_radon.pdf