Is Radon Gas In Your Home? 5 Facts You Need to Know
When was the last time you had radon testing done on your home? If the answer is never, you're about to find out why radon testing is key to maintaining a healthy home environment for your family. Radon gas is highly dangerous and can invade your home undetected. Knowing what to look for and what steps to take will help keep you and your family safe from this silent killer.
What is Radon Gas?
Radon gas naturally occurs through the decay of uranium in the soil. It is existent in low levels outdoors, making it less of a health risk. Although, radon seeps into your home through cracks in walls and floors, sump pumps, poorly-sealed basements and crawl spaces, areas around water sources such as well water or springs, or any other opening that allows air to enter from the outside of your home. Your home traps radon in and it will build up over time. As you breathe it in, you and your family are at high risk of developing lung cancer.
Facts About Radon
- Radon is odorless, colorless, and tasteless making it completely undetectable by human senses. Without proper testing, one could be breathing unsafe levels of radon for weeks, months, even years without knowing until it is too late.
- Radon is in all 50 states. You may find that you have a high level of radon gas in your home if you live in an area where it's common for soil to contain uranium ore.
- Exposure to Radon has no immediate symptoms. Symptoms from exposure to unsafe levels of radon gas could take years to reveal themselves. Radon has been identified by the Environmental Protection Agency as the second leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers in the United States, with approximately 21,000 deaths every year. This is why Radon is called a silent killer.
- Radon gas can be present and build up in any building. Not only is it recommended to test your home for radon, but also schools, offices, and any place of business should be tested.
- Radon levels in homes are highest during the winter months due to doors and windows being kept closed to keep the house warm.
Testing for Radon
You can purchase a radon testing kit to easily perform a test on your home. Testing your home for radon gas is a simple process that can be completed in minutes. When testing, it's important to know what levels are safe so you can take steps to reduce them if necessary.
Tips to protect your house from radon
Make sure your home has good ventilation
Having good ventilation in your home is not a permanent solution for radon, but it will have an effect. Open windows when the weather permits. This increases ventilation by allowing fresh air to flow in and letting radon disperse out of your home. Also, use your HVAC system. Even when you aren’t heating or cooling your home, it is effective to run the fan mode to
Seal cracks and crevices
Radon enters through small openings in your foundation and walls. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the United States, sealing cracks and other openings in the foundation is a basic part of most approaches to radon reduction.
Perform a radon test in your home every 2 years
The EPA recommends that homes should be tested for radon every 2 years as a part of routine home maintenance. You should also test for radon after performing any major renovations or home improvement projects.
Reasons not to Fix Radon Issues Yourself
We do not recommend trying to mitigate radon by yourself. This is a job for an expert. Mitigating radon requires special knowledge, expertise, and tools. In trying to fix this problem yourself, there is a high potential for creating more hazardous problems and even increased costs. Save yourself the headache. If you have problems with radon in your home, office, or any other type of facility, call us today and we’ll provide you with the best solution using our expertise.