Tag: radon testing

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Vacation and Your Radon Mitigation System

Your home has a radon mitigation system installed because your radon levels were elevated and you chose to create a safe internal environment for your family. You are going on a family vacation for the winter school break and are unplugging or turning off your computer and some other devices to save electricity.

Should you turn off your radon mitigation system while you are away? Will you save money on electricity? The only one home is the cat after all!

The amount of power or electricity used to maintain a radon mitigation system running properly is minimal. These systems are designed to run constantly and the fan installed is actively pulling the radon from under the slab to keep levels low. That is why radon testing is recommended every 2+/- years; To make sure the fan is working properly over a long term basis.

Without the fan running, radon will build back up again very quickly. When you return home from your vacation after your home has been closed up, the radon levels will be elevated. It is recommended you leave your radon mitigation system running while you are away for vacation and come back home to safe internal environment.

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Radon and New Construction Real Estate

Radon and New Construction Real Estate

The popular new real estate trend appears to be knocking down older homes in need of repair and building new. This trend eliminates many concerns inside the home  that plagues older homes such as older heating systems, horse hair plaster, lead paint, etc. yet there can be a host of new concerns to be aware of.

With new construction, homes are tighter with state of the art insulation, energy efficiency, smart home potential with built-in electronics, reduced maintenance, green building products and the beauty of being able to customize your new space. 

Building materials, depending on where they are sourced, may contain radioactive materials in them. Some materials may contain naturally-occurring radioactive elements like uranium, radium and thorium. These affected materials can be concrete, gypsum, sandstone, granite, natural stone and others.  The resulting decay product of the breakdown of these elements is radon. 

Ask your builder if any of the building materials used in the new construction contain these elements and if they followed EPA Building Codes for a Radon-Resistant New Construction. In MA in 2015, radon requirements were introduced into the state’s building code. Check your state to identify what the guidelines are.

New construction can address potential radon in a home by installing a sub-slab passive system that can easily be activated if the radon levels are elevated noted by testing. Testing is the only way to know if elevated radon levels exist. If elevated, a passive system is activated by installing a fan used to draw the radon out of the home from under the slab. Re-test post fan installation or if there is no passive system in place, re-test after a sub-slab depressurization system is installed. 

Test Your Home…Protect Your Family!

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Radon KILLS…Have You Tested Your Home Yet?

Radon KILLS…Have You Tested Your Home Yet?

Radon, a Class A carcinogen and radioactive gas derived from the natural breakdown of uranium in rock and soil has been proven to cause lung cancer plus there is concern for other organs in the human body to be effected as well. Radon KILLS one person every 25 minutes.

Have You Tested Your Home Yet? A simple test can determine if you are living with elevated radon levels and any home can be fixed to reduce radon concentrations to a safe level.

Test Your Home TODAY…Protect Your Family!

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Radon…I’ve Never Tested

Radon…I’ve Never Tested!

OK, so you’ve never tested for radioactive radon gas in your home. With the increase of awareness, you want to and are concerned about the possible past exposure. We can’t go back in time even though it would be nice sometimes but we can be proactive going forward and that should be the mindset taken.

Radon gas is a Class A carcinogen that lurks in homes because it becomes trapped. Breathing radon decay products over a prolonged period of time can cause lung cancer and research is proving other organs can be affected as well.

The only way to know if you have a radon issue in your home is to test. There are multiple ways to test for radon gas and using a professional is highly recommended.  A homeowner with proper guidance following proper protocol can effectively test their home as well with an EPA approved test kit.

Most home testing is done on a short term basis lasting 2-7 days with either an electronic method or a passive method. The electronic method, which is performed by a professional radon measurement provider using a CRM or Continuous Radon Monitor is tamper proof, provides an hour by hour concentration reading and offers the most comprehensive report for short term testing. There are different types of short term passive testing with the most common being a 2-7 day test using Charcoal Liquid Scintillation or Activated Charcoal Adsorption which once the testing period is completed, is sent to a lab which reads the level of radioactivity for an overall average concentration. There are radon tests available which can be exposed for 1-12 months when long term testing is required.

There are some states in which it is required for radon testing to be done for real estate transactions and rentals yet many states who do not require it. If your state does not have any requirements, you MUST be proactive to test for this insidious gas for your own family and  home.

Test Your Home TODAY…Protect Your Family!