What Any Homeowner Should Know About Radon in Their Home

As a homeowner, there are a lot of different threats in your home, from carbon monoxide poisoning to lead paint. These tend to be more well-known than radon, which is an exceptionally harmful gas that can show up in many homes nationwide.

Because radon is relatively unknown, there is a lot of information out there that homeowners must know to ensure their family stays protected. We have created a beginner’s guide on what to know about testing for radon in your home to get you started.

What is radon?
Radon is a colorless, odorless gas that forms when the element uranium breaks down. Uranium is present in a lot of soil and rocks around a home’s foundation, and when it breaks down it releases a gas into the home’s air and water supply. This happens because the air pressure in your home is lower than that of the air outside, so your home acts as a vacuum and draws in radon in through cracks in the foundation and windows. Since radon is tasteless, it is relatively impossible to know when radon is present in the home.

What dangers does it present?
Symptoms can differ from person to person, but some common symptoms include respiratory problems and, even worse, lung cancer. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer across the country and the risk of lung cancer increases by 16% per 100 Bq/m increase in long-term radon concentration.

How do I remove radon from my home?
There are plenty of different methods for radon mitigation and abatement from your home; it just depends on your home’s level of exposure. You can choose to either have a short-term test that measures exposure up to 90 days or a long-term test that measures the exposure of your home over a three month period. It can be hard to know exactly what method of testing for radon is right for your home, so don’t hesitate to ask a professional radon abatement service to come give you a consultation.

Radon in your home should be taken seriously, which means you need to do everything you can to remove radon from your home. If you have any questions about radon in the home and what lengths you can go to protect yourself, call our company today. We will banish the radon for good!