January is National Radon Action Month!

Have you had your home tested for radon gas? The Environmental Protection Agency has designated January as National Radon Action Month. This might be the perfect time to think about testing your home for this potentially harmful gas.

What is Radon you ask? Radon, is a naturally occurring radioactive gas from the soils and rocks beneath your home. It can escape the bedrock and enter into a home through cracks in the foundation, space around piping, construction joints, etc.  Radon gas is invisible, odorless, and tasteless, and it can build up in your home unnoticed and possibly put your family at risk.

The EPA estimates that radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among people who don’t smoke, and it is the second leading cause of cancer for people who do.

So, you’ve decided to test your home for radon: What’s next, you ask? You’ve come to the right place! We can test your home with a continuous radon monitoring device. The radon device gets set and runs for 48 hours straight. Then we take the average to give you your radon reading inside your home. The National Radon Program Services also offers information on radon and how to get a test kit (1-800-SOS-RADON (1-800-767-7236).   If your results come back with a high reading, we can refer you to a local company that installs radon mitigation systems inside homes.

It’s a good rule of thumb to retest your home for radon every two years to verify that the levels are acceptable. Use this month to learn about the risks of radon, what to do if you have a problem, and importantly, to encourage your family, friends, and neighbors to test their homes.