3 Methods To Keep Your Family Safe from Radon

If you’re unfamiliar with the threat of radon poisoning, keep reading. Radon is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that comes from deep inside the earth because of radioactive decay. Most radon reaches the surface and safely dissipates into the atmosphere. Unfortunately, some of that radon ends up in people’s homes. There, it accumulates, and residents are at risk of inhaling or consuming it. Once radon reaches the lungs, it may start mutating the lung tissue and cause lung cancer after many years. But don’t lose hope! Here are three methods to keep your family safe from radon.

Testing

First, test your home for radon. When you discover the level of radon exposure in your home, you’ll know how much of a threat the gas poses. Radon testing can happen in one of two ways. DIY kits are available online and at hardware and other stores. These are useful, but they are less accurate than hiring a radon professional to come to your home with their equipment to make more precise readings.

Reducing Radon

While there’s no “safe” level of radon, if testing reveals radon levels exceeding four picocuries per liter (pCi/L), your family is at great risk of radon poisoning. Don’t panic! With the right technology, radon levels are very easy to reduce. Here are a few ways to cut back on your home’s radon content.

1. Seal Cracks

Radon comes up through cracks, holes, and other openings in the foundation and floor of a structure. Polyurethane caulk and expanding foam are excellent for sealing up such spaces. Take time to search the basement for entry points, or hire a professional to do so. This won’t lead to complete impermeability, but it will reduce the level of radon seeping through, nonetheless.

2. Improve Ventilation

Keep fresh air flowing through your home and prevent radon from settling in by opening windows and doors. Basements and crawl spaces are notorious for lacking windows and doors to the outside, but strategically positioning fans throughout the home brings more fresh air down there. Again, this isn’t the most efficient way to reduce radon, but it certainly helps.

3. Install a Radon Mitigation System

You’ll need a professional to do this part. Radon mitigation systems include a series of tubes and fans that vent radon up from the ground and into the outside air. Several kinds of radon mitigation systems are available, so discuss your options with a radon mitigation professional.

Those are three methods to keep your family safe from radon. Radon may be invisible, but its effects are very real. Take steps to reduce the radon levels in your home, and continue to test for it to ensure it stays out!