4 Tips for Making Sure Your Home Is Radon Free

Radon is a silent killer. You can’t see it. You can’t taste it. You can’t even smell it. But it might be in your home, potentially making your family sick. Radon gas is present across the country, slowly seeping into basements and cellars and residing in a home’s air until it enters your lungs. That doesn’t have to happen, though. With testing and certain procedures, you can reduce the risk of radon in your home. Here are four tips for making sure your home is radon free.

Test for Radon

The only way to know if there’s radon in your home is through testing. Whether you hire a professional or purchase a testing kit to do it yourself, testing is the smartest first step to take. You should do it if you’ve never tested your house before, you’re about to buy or sell it, and before and after renovations that may release trapped radon. You should also test before instigating changes or renovations that will result in more time in the basement. It’s possible to set up a home testing kit in the lower part of a home and let it sit there for several days. Afterward, you mail it to a lab. That works, but it’s even better to have a professional do the testing.

Seal It Up

Radon comes from the ground. More precisely, it’s the result of decaying radium, and it pushes its way through the soil to the surface. Once there, it usually dissipates into the air. However, if a home or other building gets in its way, it either sits there or finds cracks and holes where it can leak inside. Your first step in the battle against radon is to find and seal those entry points with a silicon-based caulk or another sealant. This won’t make radon go away, but it’ll at least keep it from getting in.

Let It Breathe

Your home needs to breathe. Or it at least needs proper ventilation. Keeping the air flowing through your home, crawlspace, basement, and other parts ensures fresh air replaces the bad air, taking radon along with it. Installing and setting up fans to help the air move is a good step toward reducing radon levels. You can also make a habit of airing out the house by opening the windows and doors, even in winter. This is just a temporary fix, though it’ll help keep the air clear and healthy in your home.

Add a Radon Mitigation System

Many new homes’ designs keep radon mitigation in mind, especially if they’re in an area with a higher radon concentration (though no place is completely free of it). If you have an older home, though, you may need to have an interior or exterior radon mitigation system installed. These systems reach below the house and use a system of pipes and fans to draw up and disperse the radon under a home into the air. Once again, find and speak to a professional who’s an expert at radon mitigation.

Those are just four tips for making sure your home is radon free. Test for radon today, and ensure a healthier tomorrow for you and your family!