Radon Testing
What Is Radon?
Radon is a colorless, tasteless, odorless gas formed by the decay of uranium in soil and rock. It is present in nearly all soils. It is undetectable to the human senses. If it builds up, it can decrease indoor air quality and potentially lead to health issues.
Radon can enter homes through concrete cracks, wood, sheetrock, and the like. It is most commonly found in the basement. Any home can have a radon problem, new or old. Just because your neighbors don’t have a radon problem doesn’t mean that the same is true for you, and vice versa.
Why Radon Is Dangerous
The EPA has found that radon causes between 15,000-22,000 lung cancer deaths each year. It is the #1 cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, after smoking. If smokers live in a home with high radon levels, their risk of lung cancer is 10x higher than that of non-smokers in homes with high radon levels.
It can take years for radon symptoms to appear. As such, catching it as soon as possible is crucial to protect your future self’s health.
There is no known safe level of radon, according to the CDC, so you want to ensure that your property has the lowest levels possible. The action level is 4.0 piC/L. The only way to know the radon levels in a property is to obtain radon testing.
Where Professionals Test For Radon
While you can do home tests, for the best results, call on the experts here at Nook-N-Kranny Home Services for professional radon testing that covers everywhere radon could be.
Some areas have a higher risk for radon than others. These include:
- Older homes with dirt floors in the crawl space
- Basement Slab (floor) damage
- Gaps in foundation
- Well water
All of these make it easier for radon gas to rise. Radon moves from soil into your home. This is easiest when there are cracks, though it can seep through concrete.
Areas likely to have radon include:
- Basements
- Crawl spaces
- Living rooms
- Bedrooms
- Areas where occupants spend more time
- Most likely at or below ground level/exposed earth
Our comprehensive testing services will reveal the radon levels in your home. If test results are high, we can recommend mitigation measures to restore your property to safety.
What To Do If Radon Is Detected
If radon is detected in your home, don’t panic. The health risks from radon exposure are cumulative. You must take action, but it is not an emergency situation. You won’t need to move out or opt for the first available person to fix the issue. You can contact your state radon office for the EPA guidelines you should follow.
If radon is detected, there are steps you can take to reduce radon levels. This can be done by sealing cracks and getting a radon mitigation system installed. You can try simple solutions first before moving onto bigger ones, such as moving some insulation, sealing cracks, and the like.
Some ways to help include:
- Caulking foundation, cracks, construction joints, etc
- Installing airtight cover on sump pump
- Covering soil in crawl spaces with polyethylene plastic sheeting
- Sealing concrete (however, the EPA has found this to be temporary, at best)
- Installing fan and exhaust systems. (In-line fans draw air through a vent pipe, sucking radon from ground, then take it up the side of the house and to the eaves. There, it is dispersed harmlessly into the atmosphere.)
When Should You Get Radon Testing?
You will want to test your home for radon if it has never been tested or you don’t know the radon levels, when you are preparing to purchase a home or put yours on the market, before and after renovations, and before making any changes that would cause people to spend more time in the lower levels of your home, as this is where radon accumulates.
You can retest every 2-5 years. It’s good to retest after making any changes to property.
Contact Nook-N-Kranny Home Services today for more information about our radon testing services in Utah and Southern Idaho.
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