Building, Blasting and Radon
The new construction rage is being seen throughout communities these days with luxury town homes and McMansions being built while older homes are being torn down to make room. Buyers want new with all the bells and whistles of modern conveniences. Some may require blasting of ledge to make room for these new homes which jostles the earth and the underlying rock formations. This may result in increased levels of radon seen in existing surrounding homes.
No exposure to elevated radon levels is a positive for the body yet lung cancer is a result of long term exposure to radon’s alpha particles. If you have a radon system in place in your home, it will keep the radon levels low if the fan is functioning properly. If there is no system in place in your home and your home testing radon results have increased based on construction, you have a decision to make to either install a system or wait to test again until the construction has been completed.
To wait could be a dangerous situation and the project could last several years due to multiple stages of construction. In that case, it’s best to install a system early on. Speak to the builder if available and determine the scope of the project. I am firm believer of installing radon mitigation systems in all homes with elevated radon levels. Why take a chance when it is small money for the repair to the home for the peace of mind of health.
Test Your Home…Protect Your Family!