5 Reasons to Schedule a Radon Assessment Test with Home Technology Inspections
- Radon causes severe health conditions. Radon enters your body through breathing. ...
- Selling Your Home is Easier. Radon testing is now becoming an expected test when selling your home. ...
- Radon levels change over time. Houses change over time, and so do radon levels. ...
- Any Home Can Have a Radon Problem. ...
- NY Homes Have High Levels of Radon. ...
When should you get a Radon inspection?
“Testing your home for radon is simple and should be done when all your doors and windows are closed,” said Chrystine Kelly, Radon program manager for CDPHE, in a Jan. 4 press release. “That’s why January is a great time to test, during National Radon Action Month .” The test kit is easy to use.
What is radon and do you need an inspection?
Radon inspections: What you need to know. By Stephanie Jaynes. January 1, 2021. Many home inspectors choose to offer radon testing as an additional service, but why is this the case? Radon: the colorless, odorless gas emitted into the air by the radioactive element, radium, as it breaks down in soil, rock, and water. Typically, radon enters ...
Should you get a Radon inspection?
Radon comes from the natural (radioactive) breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into the air you breathe. So, yes, you should consider radon testing and inspection when buying a home, and even you may think about it for your current house.
Should every home inspection include radon?
Is Radon Testing Part of a Home Inspection? It depends. Many home inspectors will include this test as part of their inspection, but that’s not always true. You should ask the inspector in advance if they provide this service. If they do, make sure they’re actually licensed to perform this type of test.
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Which houses are most likely to have radon?
Exposure to radon can be especially high for people who use their basements as a living space. Like basements, homes with slab-on-grade foundations have many openings that allow radon to enter. Homes with crawl spaces (vented and sealed) can also have elevated radon levels.
Why is a radon test important?
Getting your home tested for radon can help protect you and your family from a key cause of lung cancer. Exposure to radon accounts for about 21,000 deaths from lung cancer each year according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Does radon affect home value?
Will a radon mitigation system hurt my home's sale value? Buyers looking for a home want to know their families are safe. A house that's tested and shown to have low levels of radon is much more desirable than a home that could put the inhabitants' health at risk.
What states have the most radon?
Alaska has the highest radon levels of 10.7 pCi/L....Here are the 10 states with the highest Radon levels:Alaska - 10.7.South Dakota - 9.6.Pennsylvania - 8.6.Ohio - 7.8.Washington - 7.5.Kentucky - 7.4.Montana - 7.4.Idaho - 7.3.More items...
Where is radon most common?
Radon levels are usually higher in basements, cellars and living spaces in contact with the ground. However, considerable radon concentration can also be found above the ground floor. Radon concentrations vary considerably between adjacent buildings, as well as within a building from day to day and from hour to hour.
How long does it take for radon to affect you?
Radon gas can damage cells in your lungs, which can lead to cancer. Radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the United States, though it usually takes 5 to 25 years to develop. Early signs and symptoms of lung cancer may include: persistent cough.
Is radon a deal breaker?
You can't see it, smell it, or taste it, but radon gas is a leading cause of lung cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. However, the presence of radon in your home doesn't have to be a deal breaker.
Do I need a radon test to sell my house?
Radon testing is the only means with which you (and your potential buyers) can be sure of the levels of radon within your property. The best advice is to undertake radon testing in all households, whether you are selling or not.
How do I make my house safe from radon?
An active radon sump, fitted with a fan, is the most effective way to reduce indoor radon levels. Sumps work best under solid floors and under suspended floors if the ground is covered with concrete or a membrane. Occasionally, passive sumps without a fan may reduce radon levels.
Will an air purifier help with radon?
Air Purifiers are great for mold, dust, allergies, bacteria and viruses, and odors, but many people do not know that they can also help with toxins, gases and chemicals such as radon. The most important type of air filter to reduce radon levels is an activated carbon filter.
How worried should I be about radon?
The only safe level of radon is zero. Radon levels measure in picocuries per liter, or pCi/L. Levels of 4 pCi/L or higher are considered hazardous to your health, and you need to take action against radon if your levels are higher than 4 pCi/L.
Does HVAC reduce radon?
This study shows that even the most standard ventilation provided by an HVAC system can reduce levels. The impact of radon is statistical and improvements can continue to be gained at levels below the current 4.0 pCi/l action level.
What causes radon in a house?
Radon is a radioactive gas. It comes from the natural decay of uranium that is found in nearly all soils. It typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Your home traps radon inside, where it can build up.
What causes radon gas?
Radon is a radioactive gas that forms naturally when uranium, thorium, or radium, which are radioactive metals break down in rocks, soil and groundwater. People can be exposed to radon primarily from breathing radon in air that comes through cracks and gaps in buildings and homes.
What is radon in a house?
Radon is a radioactive gas that comes naturally from soil and rocks. Radon can move from the ground into your home through cracks and holes in the foundation. It can also enter a home through private well water. Radon can build up inside your house and cause lung cancer if you breathe it in over many years.
How accurate are at home radon tests?
"Short-term radon test kits are not effective in measuring radon gas exposure: Findings show radon tests of less than 90 days are imprecise up to 99 percent of the time." ScienceDaily.
What is radon?
Radon is a colorless, odorless gas that occurs naturally in the earth. As elements like uranium and radium break down in the rock and soil beneath your house, they release radon gas.
What is a radon test?
A radon test kit collects radon gas or radioactive particles so they can be measured. This sample is used to estimate the total amount of radon in your home’s air. Because radon gas rises up from the ground, your radon testing device should be placed on the lowest level of your home that is typically occupied: the first floor in most buildings, but the basement if it’s finished to provide living space.
How many picocuries of radon per liter?
When you get your radon test results, the measurement will be in picocuries (pCi/L). According to the EPA, any home with more than four picocuries of radon per liter of air should have radon mitigation performed to reduce dangerous gas levels. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends taking action at 2.7 picocuries.
How do you know if you have radon in your home?
Because radon is odorless and invisible, the only way to know if you have a problem is to conduct a radon test. Both the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommend checking the radon level in your home for safety, even if you don’t live in an area of elevated risk .
What is radon mitigation?
Radon mitigation — also known as radon abatement — is a system that reduces radon levels in your home. While it’s not possible to eliminate radon entirely, a radon mitigation system helps to expel the gas from your home to keep concentrations low. Often, the system consists of a pipe that is sunk through your basement floor and into the soil beneath your house. The pipe may continue upward through your home to an exit point on the roof, or it may exit the basement and continue upwards along the outside of the house.
How much does it cost to install radon mitigation?
Because radon mitigation systems require expert installation for insertion through the foundation and the walls of your home, the job costs about $800 to $1500 to complete, depending on the size of your home and the region in which you live.
What is attached to a radon pipe?
Attached to the pipe is an exhaust fan that draws air from under the ground, through the pipe, and out the other end. The idea is that any radon gas being released underground will be sucked out of the home through the pipe and allowed to safely dissipate in the air outdoors instead of becoming trapped in your living space.
How to know if you have radon in your home?
Department of Health and Human Services, around 80 percent of American homes have not been tested for radon. You cannot see, smell or taste radon, so the only way to know if it's in your home is by performing a radon test.
How long does it take to get a radon test?
A Continuous Radon Monitor test is the most precise short-term radon test available today and it only takes about 48 hours to get a reading.
How does radon gas form?
Radon gas forms as the result of uranium decaying in soil. The radioactive gas is released from the soil and travels upward into the air. Radon becomes harmful when it travels through a house and becomes trapped inside. The gas builds up and can become a carcinogen if it is not removed. The leading radon mitigation methods that can be used are best left to professional radon mitigation contractors.
Is radon dangerous in your home?
Radon is a dangerous gas that could be lurking in your home without your knowledge. It has been blamed for 20,000 yearly deaths from lung cancer, and is currently the second-leading cause of lung cancer behind smoking. How can you be sure that your family isn't at risk? A professional radon testing can tell you if the radon levels in your home are dangerous.
What is radon?
Radon is odorless, tasteless and invisible and symptoms do not arise when a person has been exposed to radon. In the air, radon is unstable and breaks down into other products. We inhale and exhale radon gas but radon decay particles stay in the lungs. Over time, these particles can cause damage to cells, which can mutate and cause lung cancer.
Does radon cause cancer?
Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, according to EPA estimates.
What are acceptable levels of radon?
Most of Colorado is a high radon area where indoor screening levels greater than 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) are common, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The national indoor average is about 1.3 pCi/L, with an outdoor level of about 0.4 pCi/L.
What is radon testing?
There are two types of radon tests: long-term radon detectors that test over a three- to 12-month period and short-term radon kits that are completed in a matter of days.
How do I get rid of radon?
Because radon gas comes from the soil and leaks through cracks in a home’s foundation, there are several methods for capturing the gas and funneling it outdoors.
Can I mitigate radon myself?
However, if you have home-improvement skills, you may be able to mitigate yourself. Talk with your state radon office first for appropriate training and DIY manuals.
What if I have high levels of radon in my well water too?
Radon in your water poses an inhalation risk and a small ingestion risk. Radon in water released into the air, like with showering, poses a greater cancer risk than from drinking the water, according to the EPA.
