Have you heard of radon? This gas is odorless, colorless, and radioactive, but many homeowners have never considered radon testing. At Lodestar Inspection Services, we want you and the members of your household to be healthy and living in a home free of radon. Here are 5 very important things you need to know about radon and reducing the levels in your home:
1. What is radon? It’s a colorless and odorless gas that’s found in very low levels in nearly all soil and in the air around us. It comes from dying uranium.
2. Why do we worry about radon levels? When radon gets into your home, it has nowhere to go and it becomes trapped. The amount of radon can build to unhealthy levels that have been attributed to lung cancer.
3. How does radon get into the house? It can make it’s way into your house via soil, concrete, or gaps in walls and flooring. Any house, regardless of age, can have high levels of radon.
4. How do you test for radon? Homeowners hire inspectors who monitor radon levels for 2-7 days (short-term testing) or 90 days (long-term testing). Inspectors can also perform continuous radon testing using electric meters that plug into a standard plug.
5. What happens if radon is found? Sometimes filling gaps, sealing concrete, and covering the soil in crawlspaces will reduce the level of radon. Other times, inspectors recommend a radon mitigation system. This system draws radon up from the soil and out of your house via a PVC pipe.
Radon testing is something that every homeowner should do to keep their family healthy and safe. At Lodestar Inspection Services, we help Baltimore homeowners test for high levels of radon and work with you to determine the best solution to get rid of the problem permanently. Although radon might be odorless and colorless, your body will feel its effects. If members of your household have started feeling short of breath, have lost their appetite, developed a persistent cough, or are wheezing, call us immediately to schedule home radon testing. Our certified inspectors service the greater Baltimore area including Hartford and Howard counties. Call us at (410) 878-3039.