What is Radon?
Radon is a naturally occurring, colorless, tasteless, odorless, radioactive gas the comes out of the ground all around and below us. Radon comes from the natural (radioactive) breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into the air we breathe. Radon can be found all over the U.S. It can get into any type of building, homes, offices, schools, and result in high indoor radon levels. The EPA has determined that high levels of Radon causes lung cancer more often than second-hand tobacco smoke.
High levels of Radon can exist in any home.
Radon does not discriminate between new and old homes, well-sealed and drafty homes, and homes with or without basements.
Radon enters a home through:
- Cracks in solid floors
- Construction joints
- Cracks in foundation walls
- Gaps in suspended floors
- Gaps around service pipes
- Cavities inside walls
- The water supply
What is your home’s Radon number?
Radon testing is the only way to know how much you and your family are at risk from radon. EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing all homes below the third floor for radon. They recommend that all homes with radon levels above 4.0 pCi/L have a radon mitigation system installed to help ensure safe respiratory health. Levels below 2.0 pCi/L are ideal.
Guardian Inspections can test for radon in any location and provide you with accurate, results in as little as 48 hours.
How to protect against Radon exposure?
Radon reduction systems are effective and are not too expensive. Radon reduction systems can reduce radon levels in your home by up to 99%. Even very high levels can be reduced to acceptable levels. Another important time to test for Radon is after remodeling or building an addition. These events disturb the ground, concrete floor and foundation and can cause changes in the radon levels. Contact a Radon Mitigation specialist for more details on price and types of reduction systems.
New homes can be built with radon-resistant features
Radon-resistant construction techniques can be effective in preventing radon entry and making mitigation inexpensive. When installed properly these simple and inexpensive techniques can help reduce indoor radon levels in homes. In addition, installing them at the time of construction makes it easier and less expensive to reduce radon levels further if these passive techniques don’t reduce radon levels to below 4 pCi/L. Every new home should be tested after occupancy, even if it was built radon-resistant. If radon levels are still in excess of 4 pCi/L, the passive system should be activated by having a qualified mitigator install a vent fan.
For more explanation of radon resistant construction techniques, refer to EPA publication, Building Radon Out: A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Build Radon-Resistant Homes (see www.epa.gov/radon/rrnc).