What is Radon?
Radon is a naturally occurring hazardous airborne gas that seeps out of the ground and into homes across the United States completely undetected. It originates from uranium deposits buried deep within the earth and is completely odorless. The level of radon gas that escapes the soil varies depending on where you live and other conditions like the weather. It is known to be more prevalent in mountainous areas.
Radon levels are not high enough to be considered dangerous outdoors, but it accumulates indoors when it is unable to disperse and that is when the levels can become high enough to be hazardous to people. Radon gas is actually among the main causes of lung cancer in the United States. When the gas enters your lungs, it has nowhere to go; hence it accumulates in there. With time, it starts to develop cancerous cells in your lungs. The effects are even more severe in children under 15 years old and adults of over the age of 60, as the two groups lack a robust immune system. According to studies, it is a substantial contributor to lung cancer cases in the US, with over 21,000 people diagnosed.
Since radon is odorless and colorless, you must use radon detection equipment to test and monitor its level. If levels are high, you need to have a proper mitigation system installed to exhaust the gas so it doesn’t concentrate inside your home. At Teton Radon Services we offer free consultations and can guide you on the best steps to take to ensure the safety of you and your family. Our team of expert radon detection and alleviation professionals are equipped with the latest testing equipment on the market allowing us to provide you a quick and accurate Radon Gas reading.
Residential Radon Testing
Although Radon Gas is very dangerous, testing and mitigating the gas is simple and straightforward. Residential radon testing is the only way you will know if your home contains high levels of Radon and the EPA recommends testing your home once every 2 years. If your home tests for higher than normal levels, you will want to constantly monitor your home to be sure the mitigation system is working properly and that the change in weather season doesn’t have any effect on the levels.
There are two types of residential radon testing. You can use the long-term method or the short term method. However, experts encourage both methods for effective results. Both testing kits are passive which means they do not require power to function. The short-term packages can last between 2 and 7 days; they use either charcoal canisters, alpha track detectors, or scintillation detectors. You can get them in hardware stores or reach out to us anytime. The long-term tests last up to 90 days. These long-term kits are essential as they can detect the changes in the levels of gas as the seasons change and are also known to be more accurate than the short term tests.
Idaho is a known Radon Gas hotspot due to the amount of Uranium in the ground and the type of soil present. We highly recommend that you test your home yourself or call a professional to test your home regularly. If the level of the gas rises above the national standards, we can go in and mitigate it by installing a residential Radon Mitigation System.
Don’t ignore residential radon testing, it is a simple and effective process that can save the lives of you and your loved ones.
