If you don’t know your home radon levels, it’s time to find out. Radon gas is emitted by uranium deep within the earth. It continuously migrates to the surface and seeps into structures, including homes. You need to know if your indoor air quality is contaminated because radon is a known cause of lung cancer—actually, the second most common cause after cigarette smoking.
What Are The Warning Signs?
Radon is colorless and odorless, therefore, your senses can’t detect it. Your geographic location doesn’t provide any clues, either—radon is present in every part of the U.S. Without proper testing, there’s no way to know if your home radon levels are dangerously high.
How Much Is Too Much?
In the United States, residential radon measurements average 1.3 pCi/L (picoCuries per liter). The Environmental Protection Agency states that special radon mitigation methods should be applied if indoor readings are 4 pCi/L or higher. Other sources recommend a lower threshold for mitigation, beginning at 2 pCi/L.
How Can I Get Tested?
Home radon testing is available as a service provided by contractors experienced in the techniques. Alternatively, do-it-yourself kits can also be purchased on the retail market. Short-term testing utilizes an absorbent canister exposed to the air inside the home for 48 hours, then sent to a lab for analysis. Long-term alpha track detectors, conversely, are placed in the house for 90 days and typically provide the most accurate, definitive results.
If Radon Levels Are High…
A test result indicating high radon levels doesn’t mean you have to pack up and move. The EPA states that proven standard mitigation procedures can make any home safe from radon infiltration. Depending on variables such as location and configuration of the house, typical methods of reducing radon include:
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- Sealing cracks and gaps in the slab foundation and walls.
- Placing a vapor barrier atop the soil in the crawl space.
- Extending pipes beneath the slab to collect migrating radon, along with a powered fan system to safely exhaust it outdoors.
For more advice about reducing home radon levels, contact Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning.
Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area