You just bought an older three-story home near the city, which you plan to turn into a rental. The basement is unfinished, but you plan on completing it so you can occupy the basement and rent out the home’s upper floors. However, you are concerned with radon gas in the house.
Radon gas is made from decaying uranium and radium in the earth; these elements become radon, a radioactive gas that rises from the earth and slips through cracks in your home’s foundation crawl space and gets trapped in your house. Radon is colorless, tasteless, and odorless, so you won’t know it is present. Radon’s symptoms are persistent coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing up blood, chest pain, loss of appetite, bronchitis, pneumonia, and fatigue.
Radon gas causes lung cancer and has been responsible for approximately 21,000 deaths annually in the United States. You can purchase a radon test kit if you suspect radon in your house. Electronic indoor air quality testing with devices can also read radon levels in your home. The options mentioned above should be a good way to start investigating radon, but the best option is to hire a radon testing professional to inspect your home for radon and provide solutions to mitigate the problem.
How do radon tests work?
Radon tests are usually conducted by placing a radon kit in the lowest living unit of a house, such as a basement, or inside a closet. There are some limitations as to its placement. The kit must be installed in an area where there will be no traffic during the sampling, and no outside air must enter the room. A short-term radon test kit usually takes 2-4 days, and some radon systems can take 90 days to one year.
How to pass a radon test
Radon levels must not exceed the range of 2 to 4 picocuries to pass an inspection. A professional must remix the radon if the levels are above four picocuries.
Radon testing cost
A home radon test will cost about $290 when performed by a professional, and kits can be bought from $50-$300. Hiring a professional may be more beneficial than trying to do it yourself unless you have the requisite skills.
Radon testing near me
Many industrial hygienists and indoor air quality professionals can perform radon inspections and testing. You can find a radon testing professional in your area by going to internachi.org. The professionals at 5 Microns Inc. perform hundreds of radon tests each year and can assist you with your radon testing needs. We are available Monday to Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM and Saturday from 9 AM to 3:30 PM. 5 Microns Inc also offers asbestos, lead, mold, drinking water, and lab testing services. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions regarding our services.
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