Radon testing is used to detect the radioactive gas radon, naturally occurring in the soil under and around homes. Radon is invisible and odorless, so testing is the only way to know if your home has it. Exposure to high levels of radon poses very serious health risks. When testing for radon, indications will alert you to your home's radon levels to ensure they are within acceptable safety limits. Do-it-yourself tests are inexpensive and easy to deploy. Reducing radon in the home can be as simple as sealing cracks and improving ventilation or might require a vent pipe installed in the foundation to vent radon gases outside.
Continue to read to understand the basics of radon testing and all it can do for you and your home.
What is Radon Testing?
To begin, radon is produced when radioactive metals uranium, thorium, or radium break down in rocks, soil, and groundwater, producing a gas. Radon is everywhere, but some places have more of it than others. Radon testing measures the presence and level of radon in the home either with charcoal canisters or with a special film. The charcoal method tests for radon over a short period, usually two to seven days. The film method runs from three months to a year.
What Areas of the Home Have Radon?
Areas in the home that are more than likely to have higher radon levels are below ground level or exposed to the earth. Even areas that aren't located in lower areas might have elevated radon levels simply due to occupants spending more time in them.
- Basements
- Crawl spaces
- Living rooms
- Bedrooms
Radon can come through cracks in the floors or walls, suspended floors, construction joints, or spaces around service pipes.
How to Test for Radon
A common method of testing for radon is with short-term tests, such as charcoal canisters, or with longer-term film detectors. Both are do-it-yourself tests that are inexpensive and easy to do.
Charcoal Canister Short-Term Radon Testing
Charcoal canisters are placed in the home for a short period, typically two to seven days. During this time, the charcoal will absorb radon gases from the air. The test must follow a strict schedule. Upon completion, the test is mailed to a lab for testing. Short-term radon tests will produce relatively fast results, though they are less accurate than with other methods because the tests capture only a small window of time.
Film Long-Term Radon Testing
Film radon detectors use a special film that is exposed to the air in the home for a longer period than the charcoal canisters, typically three months to a year. The film is sent to a laboratory after testing to determine the radon levels in the home. Radon levels fluctuate from season to season and even from day to day. Long-term radon testing produces more accurate radon level results since they are averaged out over a long period.
When and How Often to Test for Radon
- When buying or selling a home
- If a radon mitigation system is in place—every two years
- After home remodels, or projects that open up the basement for living
As a Home Buyer or Seller
Buying or selling a house are events that usually trigger radon testing, especially if your state or government requires radon disclosures. As a seller, you may want to make sure that the last radon test was within the last two years and that it was done correctly. As a buyer, making sure that the last test was within two years is a necessity, as a radon test should be performed and results returned before the closing date.
As an Occupant of the Home
As an ongoing occupant of the home, there is no set schedule for testing for radon. You may want to test for radon if the following occurs:
- The lowest level of your home will now be occupied, as if with a basement finishing project.
- Any part of the home has been remodeled or altered since the last test.
- You have long-term plans for selling the home and want to be able to take preemptive action in the reduction of radon levels.
- The home has a radon mitigation system in place, in which case the radon should be tested every two years.
Why is it Important to Test for Radon?
Elevated levels of radon can cause lung cancer. Even though smoking is the number one way to contract lung cancer, and radon is second. Many deaths a year can be traced to radon exposure. That is more cancer-related deaths than all other types of cancer except for lymphoma and leukemia.
How to Reduce Radon Levels in the Home
John Cheney of Pristine Home Inspections adds this: "If the radon test shows radon levels of 4 pCi/L or more in your home, several steps can be taken to reduce the levels of the gas, like sealing cracks, improving ventilation, and installing a radon mitigation system."
Seal Cracks and Cover the Earth
Seal cracks and other openings in the home's foundation. Cover the crawl space with plastic sheeting.
Improve Ventilation
Improve ventilation by opening windows and doors more frequently. Use kitchen and bath exhaust fans more frequently.
Install a Radon Mitigation System
Installing a radon mitigation system in a professionally installed vent pipe that starts at a hole in the foundation and vents outside through the roof. The pipe's start point should be located as close as possible to the source of the radon gas. In many cases, this will typically be in the basement or crawl space. A fan is usually installed on the vent pipe to help exhaust the radon gas to the outside.
Interested in learning more about radon testing? Understanding what radon testing is, to learning the timeframe of when it should be done will keep you and your family safe from the negative effects of radon exposure. Let the Coastal Realty Group walk you through finding your dream home and get it radon tested.
