What on Earth is radon?
Or more precisely, what IN Earth is radon?
Radon is a radioactive natural gas that seeps up from below ground. It has no color and no smell and could be lurking in your home increasing your chances of lung cancer.
While radon is in the air you breathe outdoors, it’s particularly dangerous when levels are high inside of your home. Nearly 1 in 15 homes in the United States has an unacceptable level of radon, and according to the EPA, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer and 21,000 deaths per year are attributable to radon in homes.
21,000 deaths… That’s a lot of lost lives over something largely preventable.
How to Tell If You Have Radon
You have radon in your home. The question really should be – HOW MUCH radon do you have?
Most home inspection companies offer radon tests. In the standard St. Louis Association of Realtors contract, a home buyer has the right to perform inspections on a house under contract – this includes screening for Radon. The test for radon performed by a reputable company is around $150 and is worth the cost.
If you forgo performing the radon inspection upfront, which I don’t recommend, or if you already own a home and would like to understand your radon risk, the great state of Missouri provides a radon testing kit free of charge. Obviously, I’d prefer a professional performing the test, however this should provide you with a good reading as long as you follow the instructions they will provide with the kit.
Note: If you forgo the radon inspection during your inspection time-frame when purchasing a home, you have limited your negotiating ability as it pertains to radon mitigation. Be sure to ask your Realtor to explain the implications of skipping the radon screening.
Click here if to order your free Missouri radon screening kit.
Understanding Your Radon Level
The EPA classifies varying indoor radon screening levels into 3 groups and is measured in picocuries per liter, pCi/L (don’t get caught up with the unit of measurement – just pay attention to the numbers as that is how a home inspector will report the levels to you).
- greater than 4 (BAD – Reduce levels)
- between 2 and 4 (tolerable – consider reducing levels)
- below 2 (good – noted in yellow)
Take a look at the maps below take from the EPA’s interactive map of the United States and Missouri showing average levels of radon.
Average levels of radon across the US
Levels of Radon Across Missouri
St. Louis County and most surrounding counties are solidly in the 2-4 range, on average. The important thing to note is that it is an average, and you could very well be in the over 4 range.
What to do if You Have High Levels of Radon
If you have levels greater than 4 pCi/L, you need to contact a radon mitigation company to come install a mitigation system in your house. For standard homes, the cost of the system should generally be less than $1,000. It’s a small cost to incur when you consider the potentially damaging implications of radon on your health and life.
The system most often used is depicted below. A fan is installed that pulls air from below the house through a PVC pipe (indicated in yellow in the middle of the image) and discharges it safely outside.
Summary
Radon = bad. Radon mitigation system = good.
Please consider testing for radon levels in your home as your and your family’s lives might depend on it. If you’d like a referral for a good inspection company to perform your radon testing, ask your Realtor or reach out out to me. You can email, text or call. Of, if you’d prefer, you can schedule a 15 minute consultation with me.