Have you thought about the Radon levels in your home? January is National Radon Action Month because wintertime is an excellent time to test your home for radon, and home testing is key to identifying radon exposure.
During the winter months, most people keep their windows shut, fire up the furnace and recirculate the same air throughout their homes. Many homes have poor indoor air quality and higher radon levels because the house is closed during winter. Currently, more homes are built to be energy efficient and more “tight.” This energy efficiency can help keep the house warmer and trap the bad air inside.
January is National Radon Action Month. To bring more awareness to National Radon Action Month, Cochran Complete Services will provide FREE Radon testing. Give us a call at (770) 874-7391
What Homeowners Should Know About Radon
Radon is colorless, odorless, and tasteless, and there is no way for a human to detect it. Having your home tested for radon is the only way to know if your home has high levels of radon, a radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer over time.
What Is Radon?
Radon is a naturally-occurring by-product of underground radioactive gas like uranium and thorium, which is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the country, resulting in nearly 21,000 deaths yearly.
- Radon gas is inert, colorless, odorless, and undetectable to humans without assistance.
- Radon originates in the soil and occurs naturally in the atmosphere in trace amounts.
- Outdoors, radon disperses rapidly and is typically not a health issue.
- Issues arise when radon builds up inside homes, schools, and office buildings.
How Does Radon Get Into Your Home?
The gas can become trapped indoors after it enters through cracks in your walls, your basement floor and other holes in the building's foundation. Sometimes it can get in through your water supply and building materials.
- Points of radon entry include:
- Pores and cracks in concrete foundations and slabs
- Behind brick veneer walls that rest on block foundations
- Joints between floors and walls
- Exposed soil in crawlspaces
- Drain tiles
- Pipe entries
- Open tops of block walls
Who Is at Risk?
All homes, schools, and buildings have radon. Since radon gas moves from the soil into your home and can seep through concrete pores, the worst entry points are gaps in walls and floors. Any house, of any age, in any state can have elevated radon levels unbeknownst to the homeowner. The amount of radon in your home depends on the soil around your house and how your house interacts with the surrounding soil. Radon levels can vary so much that your radon level can be significantly higher or lower than the radon levels of your neighbor. The only way to know if your home's radon levels are safe is to get your home tested.
How Does Cochran Complete Services Test Your Home For Radon?
Since every home is different, Cochran Complete Services performs a customized radon mitigation test on your home with our professional radon mitigation monitor. The monitor is placed in the house for 48 hours, revealing the radon levels in your home. We follow the EPA recommendations that testing devices be placed in the home's lowest level suitable for occupancy, which means testing in the lowest level, such as a basement.
What Do You Do If Your Home Has High Levels of Radon?
At one level or another, all homes, schools or buildings have radon, including new and old homes, well-sealed and drafty homes, and homes with or without basements. With that said, the U.S. EPA recommends radon testing every two years. Knowing what your current radon level means to you and your family is a must.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, testing for radon in your home every two years is recommended.
While there are do-it-yourself measures that can be taken to remediate radon levels, some DIY jobs can increase the level of radon in a home. Therefore, it is recommended that you contact a qualified radon mitigation contractor like Cochran Complete Services. We will help you understand your test results and help you decide which radon control system would suit your home.
If any remediation is done, we will test your home again to be sure it worked.
What Are Some Tips to Reduce Levels In Your Home?
Have the Best Equipment
Combustion appliances can contribute to radon in the home, and the HVAC system could push radon to other floors inside the house. Getting a new furnace and keeping up with routine maintenance can help bring down radon levels.
A home’s first line of defense for indoor air quality (IAQ) is a good ventilation and HVAC system that uses high-quality vents and wall caps.
Ventilation
Increasing airflow inside the home is essential to reduce radon buildup, especially in winter. Even if it is cold out, opening your windows for just a few minutes a day can help improve ventilation. You can also run the fans and vents in your home to help circulate the air.
Reduce Depressurization
Because low indoor air pressure is another problem that draws more radon into the home, do what you can to limit negative pressure. That could mean opening a window when you run an exhaust fan or use a wood stove or fireplace.
Seal Cracks
Gaps and cracks in the foundation allow radon to enter the home easily. It is important to seal cracks in the foundation with epoxy or caulk.
Crawl Spaces
Cover the soil in crawl spaces with polyurethane plastic sheeting tightly attached to the walls.
Make Sure Your Home Is Safe
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, testing for radon in your home every two years is recommended.
- You should test your home for elevated radon levels to ensure no one is in danger of developing lung cancer.
- If your house has high radon levels, you should act quickly.
- Risks from radon are cumulative, meaning serious effects can result from exposure to high levels over a long period.
- That means the longer you wait to have your home tested, the more danger you're in those risks.
You can best contact a professional mitigation company like Cochran Complete Services to test your home and take the necessary steps to keep your family and home safe! Call us Today at (770) 874-7391.