How to Test for Radon in Your Home
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The Environmental Protection Agency sets safe exposure limit standards for radon gas at between 2 pCi and 4 pCi. If the number exceeds 4 pCi, you need to hire a radon abatement contractor to remove the radon from your house when you get a radon test. Once that is done, a follow-up test should be performed to measure the levels to ensure they remain within safe limits. Testing is done through a device placed in your lowest level of living, not the lowest level of the entire home. The goal is to find the radon level your family is actively breathing in.
Expert advice from Bob Vila, the most trusted name in home improvement, home remodeling, home repair, and DIY. A persistent cough could be a sign that you have radon poisoning. Available in both short-term and long-term monitoring, the tests are easy to use and require minimal setup. “The test is cheap and reliable—it doesn’t take rocket science,” says Bill Wehrum, an administrator at the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation.
How do you detox from radon?
The expert will typically be a trained industrial hygienist, and they will have the skills and tools to do the job correctly. He will generally use small canisters equipped with a unique charcoal filter and place them in the lowest living area of your home for at least two full days. No traffic may be active at least 12 hours before the test and during the sample period, and no air from outside can get in the room as it can negatively impact the test. If your home is equipped with a radon fan, you can leave it on, and if you are running a heating and cooling system, they too and be left running. Radon kits are not to be placed in the crawl space as this does not show radon gas levels that are trapped inside the house where you live. The second-best way to reduce your radon level, after a mitigation system, is airing out the home.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoking. If you smoke and live in a home with high radon levels, you increase your risk of developing lung cancer. Having your home tested is the only effective way to determine whether you and your family are at risk of high radon exposure.
STEP 4: If you have a private well, test your water for radon.
Landlords should certainly beware, failure to act on a suspected radon gas issue or in fact any issue under the Homes Act 2018 means the risk of being sued by your tenant. The act also means you are liable for not supplying adequate ventilation and failing to supply freedom from damp. Air pressure inside homes is usually lower than the pressure in the soil. Therefore, the higher pressure under the building forces gases though floors and walls and into the building.
However, caulking, sealing, and painting will not effectively lower radon levels. Many homes and some workplaces have a suspended ground floor with a space underneath. Good ventilation of this space can reduce radon concentrations. Talk to your builder about installing a radon reduction system. You can obtain free copies of the EPA's Model Standards and architectural drawings and use them to explain the techniques to your builder. Let your builder know that the radon resistant features can be easily installed with common building practices and materials.
How do I get rid of radon naturally?
Additionally, they can provide advice on keeping your home safe, such as checking for foundation cracks and sealing them. EPA officeimmediately for a list of approved remediation contractors near you. While some mitigation solutions are straightforward, others are not. The more of these variables you have, the more likely you will get lung cancer due to exposure.
You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link. This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Sophia Latorre. Before joining wikiHow, Sophia worked as a technical editor and was published in six International Energy Agency Wind Annual Reports.
FAQs: Getting Rid of Radon
If he or she has not included a guaranteed radon level, consider asking that it is included. While some homes are difficult to mitigate below 4 pCi/L, most homes can be reduced to 2 pCi/L or below. Remember, long-term tests are seen as a more accurate indicator of radon levels because they take fluctuations into account. However, a short-term test can serve as a good starting point to give you quick insights, such as when you’re considering purchasing a home. If the radon level in your home is at or above 4 pCi/L, you should consider contacting a licensed radon mitigation professional.
There are no widely available medical tests to measure whether you have been exposed to radon. But if you think that you might have been, talk with your doctor about whether you should get regular health checkups and tests to look for possible signs of lung cancer. Possible symptoms include shortness of breath , a new or worsening cough, pain or tightness in the chest, hoarseness, or trouble swallowing. It is also possible for radon to enter your home through your water supply, though this poses a much lower risk than when it comes through the soil. If you have a private well, you can have it tested for radon. If the levels are high, you can have the water supply treated so that the radon is removed before it enters your home.
You can help reduce your risk of cancer by making healthy choices like eating right, staying active and not smoking. It’s also important to follow recommended screening guidelines, which can help detect certain cancers early. Radon gas is a radioactive gas that you cannot see, smell, or taste. It’s produced as a byproduct as certain radioactive elements decay. The most common type of radon has a half life of 3.8 days, which means half of the gas is left 3.8 days after it formed. Radon testing is easy and the only way to find out if you have a radon problem in your home.
Fans and other equipment may also raise your electric bill. Speak to the contractor about how much of an increase you can expect. Keep in mind that removing radon from your home can significantly lower your risk of lung cancer, so the extra cost is worthwhile. The aim of remedial work is to reduce radon levels as low as possible.
The Environmental Protection Agency recommends contacting a qualified professionalexternal icon to install a radon reduction system if your home radon level is at or above 4 pCi/L of air. EPA also recommends taking action to reduce radon if your home radon level is from 2 pCi/L through 4 pCi/L. Some techniques work to reduce the amount of radon entering your home, while others focus on removing radon already in the air. Work with your contractor to choose the best techniques for the levels of radon in the space as well as your budget. Ask the contractor to prepare a contract that details the strategy you have chosen, then review and sign it before any work begins. Contact your national radon office for a list of certified contractors that can safely make adjustments to your property to reduce radon exposure.
Professionals can assess your home’s structure and foundation to decide the ideal type of radon mitigation system for your property. Radon is a colorless and odorless radioactive gas that is naturally found in trace amounts within the atmosphere. These trace amounts aren’t anything to be concerned about, as the gas disperses quickly outdoors. However, as the United States Environmental Protection Agency explains, radon gas can pose a serious health concern indoors. Radon is a radioactive product of the radioactive decay of uranium in the soil. It gets sucked into structures by the natural vacuum structures create on the soil .
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