Radon Testing In Your Home

Testing your home for radon is simple, inexpensive, and can save your life. Home radon test kits are available for purchase, or, if you feel more comfortable hiring a professional to help you, you can contact your state radon office. Hopefully you’ve been following us on our journey through Radon Action Month so far here at the HomeAire blog. If not, be sure to read our previous entries on an overview of the Environmental Protection Agency’s efforts to spread radon risk awareness and the important symptoms to watch for in your home.

For less than a family dinner, you can purchase a radon test kit for your home. How does it work? Read on to find out.

How Radon is Tested For and Measured

Setting up a test kit for radon only takes a few minutes. As we’ve previously mentioned, radon is an odorless, colorless, flavorless radioactive gas that can seep into your home through cracks in the foundation. The concentration of radon in your air is measured in "picoCuries per liter", or another unit of measurement called "Working Levels". You don’t need to know the scientific background to these units, but you do need to know this:

If your test results measure 4 picoCuries per liter (0.016 Working Levels) or higher, you should take further action to address the radon in your home.

For short term radon testing, you will place a device in a room or area in the lowest level of your home that is used regularly, whether it is finished or unfinished. The EPA recommends that you avoid testing in areas like hallways or closets, or in high humidity enclosed areas like kitchens, laundry rooms or bathrooms. Depending on the test device, it will stay in place for 2 to 90 days, measuring the levels of radon in your home air. The instructions on the package will guide you through the process.  

If your radon test results enter the "danger zone" of 4 or more picoCuries per liter, the next step would be to run a second short term test or a long term test to make sure the average is accurate. If your results confirm a dangerous radon level, you can take action against it by hiring a certified radon mitigator to install a radon fan and vent pipe (a radon mitigation system) that will redirect the hazardous gas out of your house (and out of your lungs). The radon professional can also answer any questions you may have.

Many thanks go to the EPA’s radon website for providing some great radon tips. Be sure to check back for future posts on Radon Action Month and how you can help.