Has your home ever been tested for radon? If not—or if it’s been five years or longer since the last test—you should perform radon testing to preserve the health and safety of your family. Radon is an odorless, invisible gas, so the only way to know if you have high radon levels is to test for it. No geographic area or type of home is invulnerable to radon. While older homes and certain areas may have a higher chance of seeing elevated radon levels, no homeowner should ever assume their home is safe without performing a radon test.
Why Radon Testing Matters
Radon is a naturally occurring gas that’s present everywhere. Prolonged exposure to elevated levels of radon can cause significant health risks, including a much higher risk of lung cancer. Testing your home for radon will allow you to understand what your current exposure risk is and prompt you to take action if the test shows high radon levels in your household.
When to Test for Radon
In general, homeowners should test for radon every 5 years. However, if you already have a radon mitigation system installed, you should test more often at once every 2 years. You should also test before buying or selling a home, before and after performing major home renovations, after installing or modifying the home’s ventilation/HVAC system, and after an existing mitigation system is repaired or modified.
Types of Radon Tests
There are two basic types of radon tests: short- and long-term tests. Short-term radon kits test for a period of 3-7 days, and these are ideal for first-time testing or when results are needed within a specific time frame, such as during the closing process when selling your home. Long-term tests are used for periods of 3-12 months and show average radon levels over a longer period. Because radon concentrations can vary over time, long-term testing will give you the most accurate picture of your home’s risk.
You can perform radon testing on your own by ordering a kit online through The American Lung Association. However, for the most optimal testing conditions and accurate results, trust the professionals at Green Earth Remediation. If your radon levels are high, we can help you design and install a customized radon mitigation system that can reduce radon levels by up to 99%. Our mission is to make your environment safer with trusted radon mitigation solutions.
