RADON TESTING & MITIGATION: PROTECTING YOUR HOME & HEALTH
When it comes to keeping your home safe, you probably think about smoke detectors, carbon monoxide alarms, and security systems, but there’s another hidden risk that many homeowners overlook, and that’s radon gas. It’s invisible, odorless, and naturally occurring, yet it can pose serious and dangerous health risks if left unchecked. Testing for radon is easy, and mitigation is proven effective, and affordable.
What Is Radon?
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that occurs when uranium breaks down in soil and rock. It seeps up through the ground and can enter your home through small cracks in the foundation, crawl spaces, sump pits, or even well water.
Because you can’t see or smell radon, you have no way of knowing it’s there. This makes testing for it extremely important.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, responsible for an estimated 21,000 deaths each year. Even more concerning is the fact that radon can affect anyone, smokers and non-smokers alike, and elevated levels have been found in homes across all 50 states.
How Do I Test For Radon?
Who Should Test for Radon? The short answer is everyone.
Radon levels can vary from home to home, even between neighboring houses. New construction isn’t immune, and neither are older homes. Radon testing can be considered one of the simplest home safety checks you can do.
There are two main types of tests:
1. Short-term tests - measure radon levels over a few days. To use a short-term radon test, you will place a kit in the lowest level that’s regularly used in your home and where it will not be disturbed and follow the test directions. Once the testing period is complete, seal the test kit and send it for analysis. Most of these test kits include the cost of lab analysis. In a few weeks, you will know the radon level in your home.
2. Long-term tests - provide a more accurate average over several months. Long-term tests tend to be more accurate because they collect more data. This testing method takes at least three months and measures averages over that time.
Testing kits are affordable and easy to use, often completed without disrupting your daily routine. Digital detectors are also available and can provide short-term readings as well as providing reporting on averages for the long-term.
There are also certified professional services for radon testing. The best way to find a certified professional is to contact your state radon program.
Many homeowners will start with the short-term test, especially during real estate transactions or routine home maintenance. If results show levels at or above 4.0 picocuries per liter (pCi/L), the EPA’s recommended action level, it’s time to take the next step.
What Is Radon Mitigation?
Radon mitigation systems are designed to reduce radon concentrations by safely venting the gas from beneath your home and expelling that gas to a safe place outside above the home, where it disperses safely into the air. The most common and effective method used in the U.S. is sub-slab depressurization. If you find that your home has elevated levels of radon, you can fix the problem by having a radon mitigation system installed. A first step would be sealing cracks in the foundation, floors, walls, piping or other areas that are allowing radon to enter the home. Then next step involves a vent pipe and fan system that is installed through the foundation or is piped up to the attic and then out of the house. The Suncourt RDN04-3 and RDN04 are both highly effective radon mitigation kits that are engineered and assembled in the USA. It is recommended that you re-test your home within 24 hours of installation, again 30 days later and every 2 years after that. You can find certified radon mitigation professionals in your area by contacting your state radon program.
Radon doesn’t have to be scary, but it does deserve attention. Testing your home is a simple first step that can make a meaningful difference in your family’s health and safety.
If elevated levels are found, modern radon mitigation solutions are reliable, proven, and widely used across the United States. With the right approach, you can breathe easier knowing your home is protected, now and for years to come.