WHAT IS RADON AND WHY IS RADON TESTING IMPORTANT

Most people have heard that radon in their home is not good, but when asked what radon is, they aren’t exactly sure. Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas that comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water.

 
Long-term exposure to radon presents humans and animals with a health hazard. Most significantly, radon has been linked to a higher probability of developing lung cancer in people.
 
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States.
 

How Does Radon Get Into Your Home?

Radon is a naturally occurring gas that is present in the air around us. It is a byproduct of the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water. It’s inside, it’s outside, and really there is no way to COMPLETELY avoid it. It becomes a problem when radon gas from underneath a home migrates through cracks or gaps and builds up inside the home. 

High radon levels can be a risk anywhere. Both old homes and new homes can have radon problems. Houses right next to each other could have very different radon levels. According to the EPA, one in fifteen homes in the United States have high radon levels.

How to limit radon in your home

The key is to limit the amount of radon that makes its way into your home or commercial space and prevent buildup in areas that are prone to it.
 
The most common places for radon buildup are in crawl spaces and basements.
 
This is because they are closer to the ground, if not in the ground, and closer to the source of radon. These spaces also tend to have more wear and tear on them, with cracks, leaks, or any other kind of ground exposure.
 
Radon makes its way into your home or commercial space by seeping through cracks and openings. Because the air pressure inside any building is generally lower than the air pressure in the soil, the building acts like a vacuum and sucks the radon from the soil into the structure.  
 
Fortunately, some newer construction is being built with radon prevention in mind, with a focus on extra sealing in the basement, and eliminating exposed soil around sump pumps. Some homes even have a vent installed that starts under the home, and runs up to the roof, expelling radon before it can get into the home.

All of these methods are parts of radon-resistant construction.
 
Issues with older homes and buildings can be addressed with radon mitigation systems. After years of wear and tear, there may be more exposed areas where radon can seep into your home. The main areas to pay attention to are…

• Cracks in the basement floor
• Exposed soil around a sump pump
• Gaps around piping
• Edges and joints of the home

It doesn’t matter if your home is 100 years old or recently built, you want to make sure your home doesn’t have high radon levels, putting you and anyone else in your home at risk. This is why radon testing is so important!

What is Radon Testing?

Because radon is an odorless, colorless gas that is naturally produced, there is no way to know how much is in your home or commercial space without a radon test.
 
There are different kinds of radon tests and measures.
 
Radon tests are divided into short-term tests (less than 90 days, typically 2 to 7 days) and long-term tests, which is anything from 3 to 12 months.
 
There are passive tests that use charcoal to test your radon levels, as well as active tests that require a power source to test radon levels.
 
The New York State Department of Health recommends that homes are radon tested every 2-5 years.
 
You can use a CERTI (Center for Environmental Research and Technology, Inc.) certified contractor, like us, to conduct your radon test. Arequipa will send a trained technician to your home and conduct a radon test that will give you the most useful data for your structure.
 
If you haven’t had your home or business tested for radon in the past 2 years, we highly recommend it.
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