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    What Is a Radon Test, and Why Is It Important?

    By Admin Tuesday January 3, 2023
    Indoor Air Quality Testing Service

    Radon is a harmful gas that may be present in your household without your knowledge. It is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers and is blamed for about twenty-thousand deaths yearly. So, how can you be certain that your family is not in danger? Professional radon gas testing can determine whether your house’s radon levels are dangerous.

    This article will go through what exactly is a radon test for home inspection and why it is important to get one done in your home.

    What Is Radon?

    Radon is an odorless and colorless gas that naturally occurs on the earth. Radon gas is produced when elements such as radium and uranium degrade in the soil and rock beneath homes.

    For those who can’t remember their chemistry classes in high school, radium and uranium are radioactive. The same is true for radon, which has been linked to lung cancer.

    Outdoors, radon is not a problem as it fades away quickly in the atmosphere, leaving only trace amounts in the air. However, the same can’t be said about homes, as many modern houses are tightly sealed due to superior insulation; radon can get trapped inside and accumulate to dangerous levels, leaving you and your family at risk of lung cancer.

    What Is A Radon Inspection?

    Professional radon testing includes examining all potential sources of radon exposure, including the soil surrounding the home, sometimes down to the earth’s third layer. Some inspections require the testing of radon-contaminated water, including private boreholes, public water supplies, and groundwater systems.

    The residence’s interior is always tested during a radon inspection, either with passive or active radon monitors. Before deciding on the best monitor for the house’s test, the homeowner and the inspector must determine whether they will conduct a short-term or long-term radon test.

    If high radon levels are identified in the radon test results, a detailed plan for radon mitigation is developed to make the home safe.

    Why Is Radon Testing Important?

    Performing radon tests is critical to maintaining your long-term health by being aware of potential hazards. The following are three reasons why radon testing is required when purchasing a home.

    Radon is invisible to the human senses.

    Radon testing is required when purchasing a new home because the gas is more or less undetectable by the humans. Radon has no odor, hue, or taste and enters residences through cracks, joints, drains, and other openings. So the only method to determine if radon is present in a household is to have it tested. You can have radon testing performed by a professional residential property inspection to determine if a radon mitigation system needs to be installed.

    Radon Poisoning

    Another major reason why radon testing is important is that radon gas is dangerous. Radon particles cause damage to tissues and cells of your lungs over time, increasing the risk of lung cancer. Radon gas is a major cause of lung cancer in the country, with high radon levels responsible for up to 20,000 deaths yearly.

    Furthermore, some areas of the country have incredibly high radon gas levels because of geology, and your house may be in one of those areas. You can feel secure about your family’s health by getting your residence tested for radon.

    Existing systems may need to be fixed or improved.

    Many new homes include passive radon mitigation systems, which remove radon from the house using “passive” methods such as natural airflow. However, these passive mitigation systems scuffle to eliminate large amounts of radon gas and have erratic performance. Other residences may have radon mitigation systems installed, but they may have issues, like equipment failure.

    As a result, even if a household already has a mitigation system installed, radon levels may still be higher. Hence, the most efficient way to ensure that your home is radon-free is to test it and remediate it if necessary.

    Radon Remediation

    If the radon level in the building is high, 4 pCi/L, you should hire radon mitigation services. These can cut radon levels by up to 99%. The services provided can be:

    • The use of a fan to blast air and create sufficient pressure to prevent radon from entering the house.
    • Improvements to the house’s air exchange are made.
    • Plastic sheeting is used in crawl spaces in homes.
    • Repairs to foundation cracks.
    • Soil suction draws radon from beneath the house and vents it into the atmosphere via a pipe.
    • Soil and household appliance testing are done.
    • Installation of ventilation systems, either underground or otherwise, is made.

    It would be best if you rechecked radon levels after remediation efforts to ensure that levels have decreased.

    Conclusion

    Radon is a prevalent issue that has serious potential side effects. Therefore it’s a brilliant idea for everyone to consider radon home testing so that any prospective issues can be addressed. Knowing your house’s air quality can provide peace of mind and allow you to breathe easier.

     

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