Tag: testing radon

Radon is a natural radioactive gas that can be traced both in outdoor and indoor environments. While outdoor levels may not pose a serious health hazard, prolonged exposure to high indoor radon levels has been proven to cause lung cancer. Ensuring radon mitigation is crucial for indoor safety.

The only way to keep yourself and your loved ones safe from the effects of radon gas is to conduct radon testing. However, with the many radon test kits in the market promising you quick results, deciding whether to test radon yourself or hire an expert may weigh heavily on your mind.

In our expert opinion, working with a radon measurement professional has more benefits than doing it yourself.

These benefits are:

1. Accurate Results

When testing for a deadly gas like radon, the test results must be reliable and accurate. A professional radon test kit offers far more reliable results than a DIY kit.

The radon testing expert will consider many factors including your home’s foundation type, the right testing methods, where to place the test, and the weather conditions during the testing period to ensure they give you the most accurate results.

Without considering the variables above, a DIY kit may not give you the accurate results you need.

2. Professional Testing Service

Radon testing experts have the training, experience, and specialized tools to guarantee that testing your home for radon is done right the first time. They rely on their expertise to give you customized service that provides effective results.

For instance, testing for radon in an older home may require different methods from a new construction. Additionally, radon experts stay up-to-date with new best practices and testing techniques to guarantee quality services.

3. Speedy Results

Whether it’s a short-term or long-term test, the contractor lets you know the results as soon as the test is completed. When you test your home’s radon levels yourself, you need to send the kit to a lab and you may have to wait several weeks for the results.

If you require radon testing for a real estate transaction, a radon testing professional typically uses the continuous radon monitor to ensure you get accurate results within 48 – 72 hours.

4. Hassle-Free Testing

DIY radon testing may save you some money. However, as we stated earlier, it’s only accurate if you use it correctly. You need to follow all the instructions precisely which takes time and effort.

Leaving the testing and interpretation of the results to a licensed professional takes less time and is less stressful than doing it on your own.

5. Effective Radon Mitigation

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends installing a radon mitigation system for homes with radon levels from 2 – 4 pCi/L (picocuries per liter pCi).

If the test results show high levels of radon in your home, you would require a licensed mitigation expert to help you reduce the radon levels. Many radon testing companies can also help with mitigation.

Hiring a radon testing expert makes the mitigation process easier and faster because they already inspected your home and can recommend the best radon mitigation system.

If the results are borderline, they will conduct another short-term test to determine your home’s radon level and the next steps to take.

Contact Teton Radon Services for Efficient Radon Mitigation

For quality radon mitigation services you can trust to bring radon to the lowest levels possible, Contact Teton Radon Services. We have over 15 years of experience conducting accurate radon tests and effective mitigation in the Rocky Mountain Region. Call us today to schedule your free consultation. 

Radon is an odorless, tasteless, and colorless gas that poses serious health risks to you and your family. If you have a crawlspace, it’s easy for radon to seep through the soil and accumulate in your indoor air. Many homeowners prefer crawl space encapsulation as a mitigation measure.

But is crawl space encapsulation worth your time? Does it reduce radon levels?

The answer is YES. If done correctly, it reduces radon to the lowest levels possible.

Let’s look at crawl space encapsulation in detail.

What is Crawl Space Encapsulation?

Crawl space encapsulation involves sealing the crawl space with a barrier to prevent radon from migrating through the floorboards and into your living space. The contractors will inspect and clean the space to prepare for encapsulation.

Next, they lay a crosslinked vapor barrier across the crawl space walls and floors and seal it with double-sided tape or spray foam to prevent air leaks. The contractor installs spray foam insulation on cables, pipes, and ducts to seal off the space.

Lastly, they install a perforated pipe under the vapor membrane to draw radon and moisture out with a specialized radon mitigation suction fan.

How Crawl Space Encapsulation Reduces Radon in Your Home

Encapsulating your crawl space prevents radon from seeping through the cracks in the walls, ductwork outlets, and into the living spaces in your home. While the radon is still present in the soil or cracks, it is contained in the vapor barrier and drawn outside before it gets to the crawl space air, thereby reducing radon levels in your entire home.

Typically, the installation is fitted with a system monitor to help you check whether it’s functioning properly. As long as the encapsulated crawl space and the piping stays intact, you never have to worry about radon entering your home.

What If the Levels Are Still High After Crawl Space Encapsulation?

Crawl space encapsulation in itself is not enough to keep radon levels down. it is possible to find high levels of radon in encapsulated crawl spaces. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests installing a vent and suction fan alongside the encapsulation (as described above) for the most effective results.

Another option would be placing a fan in the crawl space to dilute the radon gas. However, this method can significantly increase your overall crawl space encapsulation cost. Your contractor can also install crawl space vents to reduce radon levels beneath your home. The best practice is to combine the vapor barrier with a mitigation system for effective radon mitigation.

Other Benefits of Crawl Space Encapsulation

Apart from radon mitigation, encapsulating crawl spaces also:

• Improves indoor air quality
• Inhibits mold growth
• Improves energy efficiency
• Reduces humidity levels
• Inhibits pest infestation

Contact Teton Radon Services for Effective Crawl Space Encapsulation Services

Teton Radon Services is your expert partner for professional crawl space encapsulation services. We have helped many homeowners successfully reduce radon levels through meticulous crawl space encapsulation services for over 15 years, and we can do it for you too. Call us for a free crawl space encapsulation service quote.

Are you concerned about radon levels on your property? You are right to be on high alert because high levels of radon can potentially harm your health or delay a property sale. The only way to find out if you have a radon problem on your hands is through proper testing. 

Why is Radon Gas Dangerous?

Radon is all around us. But it’s colorless, odorless, and invisible which means it’s undetectable to the naked eye. Radon comes naturally from the breakdown of rocks and soil. In the outdoors, it is generally not a problem as it quickly dilutes to low concentrations. 

However, when the radon gas escapes from the soil and enters your home through the cracks in the foundation or electrical and plumbing lines, and accumulates in your indoor air, it poses a high risk to your health.

Prolonged exposure to high radon levels increases your risk of lung cancer. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoke and it’s estimated to be responsible for over 21,000 lung cancer deaths in America every year.

Every home is prone to radon. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 1 in every 15 homes has high radon levels. It can accumulate in any type of home whether old or new, and with or without a basement. Since the levels vary from location to location two neighboring homes can have different radon levels. 

That’s why it’s critical to test for radon.  

There are two ways you can test for radon. You can do it yourself or hire a professional but the degree of safety varies widely.

DIY Radon Testing

You can purchase a test kit from your local hardware store and use it to determine if there is a radon problem in your property. Placing the test kit on the lowest floor of your home such as the basement or the ground floor for the specified time is the best way to get an accurate reading. Remember to keep the doors and windows closed and off the fans and air conditioners for 12 hours before testing. 

However, closing the door and windows as you place the test exposes you to even higher levels of radon making it less than ideal for your long-term health. And with so many steps to follow, it’s easy to skew the test and prolong the mitigation process (where necessary) further exposing you and your loved ones to the harmful gas.

That’s why we highly recommend professional radon testing.

Professional Radon Testing

Engaging a professional is the safest way to test for radon on your property. Radon experts have the training and cutting-edge equipment to conduct the test without compromising your health and safety. Certified professionals use reliable testing instruments like the EPA-calibrated Continuous Radon Monitor (CRM) devices to give you prompt and accurate results. A radon expert not only takes the hassle away but also prioritizes your safety at all times.

Contact TRS for Quality Radon Testing Services

For radon testing services you can trust, call Teton Radon Services. We have over 20 years of experience in providing timely and accurate radon testing services for homes, rentals, and commercial properties. Contact us for a free consultation.

Radon is all around us. We breathe it every day. However, since it is colorless, tasteless, and odorless, you cannot tell when you are breathing it at high levels. While it hardly poses any danger outdoors, exposure to high indoor radon levels can cause serious health problems. 

How Do You Get Exposed to Radon?

The primary source of radon exposure is inhalation. Once formed from the natural breakdown of uranium in the soil and rocks, the gas comes up through the ground and penetrates indoor spaces through cracks in walls and floors and gaps around service pipes and electrical wires. Over time, radon is trapped in the indoor air and it becomes part of the air you breathe in.

Radon can be present in homes, schools, and workplaces. That said, the rooms closest to the ground including basements, crawl spaces, and ground floor spaces have the highest radon levels.

Symptoms of Radon Exposure 

Recent research has shown that the majority of us spend about 90% of our lives indoors which makes radon a serious threat to human health. 

When a person is exposed to elevated levels of radon, the radioactive physical particles that result from the decay of radon gas can cause damage to the DNA in the lining of the lungs, which could lead to lung cancer.  Lung cancer has a very high mortality rate (75%) so it is important to test your home and reduce the exposure you or family members may have to radon gas.

The primary adverse effect of exposure to high levels of radon is lung cancer. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer and it’s only second to smoking. More than 21,000 lung cancer deaths in the United States are traced back to radon exposure. Research has shown that smokers have a 25 times greater risk of lung cancer when exposed to prolonged and elevated radon levels.

The lung cancer symptoms are subtle and may only appear when you are close to or already have cancer.

Here are some of the early lung cancer symptoms to look out for:

• Persistent cough
• Wheezing
• Shortness of breath
• Coughing up blood
• Hoarseness
• Chest pain
• Loss of appetite
• Fatigue
• Unexplained weight loss
• Frequent infectious like bronchitis and pneumonia

What To Do if You Notice Radon Poisoning Symptoms

If you notice any potential symptoms of radon exposure, immediately do the following:

1. Visit a Doctor

There are no medical tests to check how much radon you’ve been exposed to, but your healthcare provider can conduct tests and put you on the right treatment. 

2. Test Your Home 

Testing is the only way to determine how much radon is in your home. Schedule a professional radon test for the most accurate results. 

3. Install a Radon Mitigation System

The EPA recommends installing a radon mitigation system if your radon levels are above 4pCil/L or higher. The goal is to minimize the levels as much as possible because no level of radon exposure is considered safe.

Reduce Radon Gas With Teton Radon Services

For high-quality residential and commercial radon testing solutions, call Teton Radon Services. With 15 years of experience and state-of-the-art technology, we can help you test radon levels on your property in 48 hours and offer guidance on the best mitigation system for you. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.