Radon is a fairly common threat that homeowners may not always fully recognize as a hazard. However, exposure to elevated levels of radon can lead to cancer and other health problems. Fortunately, there are strategies that you can use to mitigate the threat that radon poses.
The Lower Areas Of The Home Can Be More Prone To Elevated Radon Levels
Radon is a gas that can be released from the ground around your property. As a result, the basement and first floor of the home will be the most vulnerable to developing elevated radon levels. For this reason, any radon tests should be focused on these areas of the home. When conducting these tests, you may want to have a test kit in the basement as well as each room on the first floor. Otherwise, there could be pockets of elevated radon that may go undetected.
Radon Tests Should Be Conducted Every Couple Of Years
Testing your home's radon levels is a type of work that should be completed every couple of years. These assessments are needed as the amount of radon that is being released from the soil may be able to dramatically increase over time. This could lead to a home with safe radon levels becoming hazardous for occupants. If annual or bi-annual testing is not completed, these changes may not be discovered until substantial exposure has occurred. Fortunately, the process of testing a home for elevated radon levels will not be particularly difficult, but it can take up to a week as the testing kits will need a fairly long exposure time to the air in the home to have accurate results.
There Are Upgrades To Mitigate The Threat Radon Poses
When a home has elevated radon, it is imperative for upgrades to be made to improve the overall safety of the structure. In particular, this can be accomplished by improving the ventilation of the crawl spaces and basement to help direct any radon out of the home. Additionally, the are sealants that may be able to minimize the amount of this gas that is able to seep through the floors of your home. The exact upgrades that may be needed can vary based on the design of the home, the surrounding terrain, and the amount of radon gas that is in the structure. A home radon inspection and mitigation service can help you with accurately measuring this gas in the home and devising upgrades to dissipate it before it can pose health hazards.
Share