Choosing To Improve Your Home

Radon is a radioactive gas that can sneak into your home without you even being aware of its presence, and it could harm your health.

#1: Radon Is Present In Soil

Radon is a gas that is both colorless and odorless, which means that it isn't something you can see or smell. It is also radioactive. It is created by natural uranium that is present in soil degrading. Low levels of radon exist around you in the natural environment. Low levels are okay; what is not okay is when the leaves increase to a harmful level. Too much exposure to radon can result in lung cancer.

#2: Radon Seeps Into Your Home

Radon is not like a natural gas leak. As radon gas is released from the soil under your home, it will try to find ways to get into your home. It may get into your home via tiny holes in concrete, or through any gaps that exist between your floors and walls. Radon exists all around, which means that radon can get into your home. Radon can feel random, as one house could have perfectly safe and normal radon levels, and a house right next door can have dangerous levels.

#3: Testing Is Essential

The only way to know that it is there is either if you test for it or if you get sick with radon. That is why it is vital to conduct residential radon testing in your home.

When it comes to testing, there are a few different ways you can test your home. You can do a short-term test, which is the most common type of test to start. You can pick up a short-term testing kit at many home improvement and hardware stores. These tests use either an electret ion methodology or a charcoal meter to let you know if you have radon in your home. If detectable radon levels are found, you will want to do a long-term radon test.

With a long-term radon test, particle tracking is used for a few months to get a more accurate picture of the level of radon in your home over time. Levels can vary throughout the year based on various factors such as soil moisture, air pressure, and even snow cover. That is why a test that lasts for a few months to a year is essential to conduct. You will want to work with a professional radon testing service for a long-term test.

You can also get an electric monitor installed in your home that will allow you to monitor radon levels continually.

If high radon levels are detected in your home, you will want to work with a company to seal up your home and install a radon mitigation system to keep your home safe.