Why test for radon

Testing is easy and inexpensive. Visit ncradon. If you can open a plastic bag, set a tester in an appropriate location and get it in the mail within the stipulated number of days, you can easily spare the time to test for radon. The website and phone number above can help you locate a certified radon mitigator to make a repair. Both drafty houses and energy-efficient houses should be tested.

Homes with crawlspaces, basements or slab foundations should all be tested. It is not a North Carolina building code requirement. My friend in Wake Forest found high levels of radon in his home. Neither of his neighbors had high levels of radon. Thankfully, he was able to fix the problem by installing a mitigation system which consists of a small exhaust fan and vent pipe. A test was conducted after installing the mitigation system to make sure that it was working properly.

Test your home again if you start living on a lower level for example, if you turn your basement into a home office or extra bedroom. Or, contact your state radon office external icon for information. Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website. Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.

When it comes to reducing your cancer risk, one important step could be right under your nose, or your feet. Getting your home tested for radon can help protect you and your family from a key cause of lung cancer. Radon is a gas that occurs naturally outdoors in harmless amounts. It sometimes gets concentrated in homes built on soil with natural uranium deposits. It can enter buildings through cracks in floors or walls, construction joints, or gaps in foundations around pipes, wires or pumps.

Radon levels are usually highest in the basement or crawl space. When someone breathes in radon gas, it goes into their lungs, exposing them to small amounts of radiation. This may damage the cells in the lining of the lungs and increase a person's risk of lung cancer.

The risk is higher in those who have lived for many years in a radon-contaminated house. Exposure to the combination of radon gas and cigarette smoke creates a greater risk for lung cancer than either factor alone.

The best time to conduct your radon test is during the heating season. Radon levels vary from day to day and from season to season, and the highest radon levels are generally found during the winter when our homes are sealed more tightly than during the summer months. Do you sell test kits across Canada and want to be listed?