What is radon?
Radon is the silent and odorless killer that causes 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year in the United States. High levels of radon can be found in all 50 states and in all parts of Colorado. In Colorado, about half the homes have radon levels higher than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommended action level of 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L). It is a good thing modern technology has found a way to effectively reduce radon levels within 24 hours and maintain low levels of radon as long as the fan is operating. Installing a radon mitigation systems is one of, if not the only way to effectively reduce radon and help protect you from lung cancer. So once you have a mitigation installed you never have to worry about radon again, right?
How radon enters your home
Radon come from uranium deposits that sit in the soil. If your home sits on one of these deposits, it will enter through spaces between basement walls and the slab, cracks in foundation or walls, openings around sump pumps and drains, crawls spaces, and well water in high radon concentrations. If you had a mitigation system installed, it’s likely your foundation/walls/crawlspace were inspected for cracks and hopefully sealed up. Even if your radon mitigation contractor followed all of the proper steps to reduce radon, it is still possible for radon to make it’s way inside your home.
Preventing radon
It’s important to test your home immediately after the mitigation system was installed, and at a minimum every 2 years after that. Throughout the weeks, months, and years your house will shift and settle with the Earth. Causing new cracks and creases throughout the foundation and walls of your house. This new crack is all it takes for radon to once again become an issue in your household. Performing proper inspection of your house and testing every so often is the only way to make sure radon doesn’t find itself back in your life.
