Radon Testing

What is Radon?

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas.  It comes from the decay of uranium in the earth and is found in nearly all soils.  While radon is always coming up through the ground, it dissipates very quickly outside.  However, as it moves up through the soil, it can become trapped in homes through cracks and holes in the foundation.  Any home may have a radon problem if it has a foundation, regardless of whether it is built on a basement.

After smoking, radon presents the most serious risk to contract lung cancer.  For those who smoke and also have a high level of radon in their home, the risk is about 9 times greater that they will contract lung cancer in their lifetime. 

In the region we live in, approximately 25% of homes tested for radon have higher than acceptable levels. 

What if the level is high?

The remedy for removing most of the radon in a home is to have a professionally installed mitigation system which should bring it to an acceptable level.  This is very common in our area, and is a fairly easy problem to correct. 

Christie Kirchmer is state-licensed to perform radon testing.  We will be happy to perform your radon test in conjunction with your whole-house inspection.  Because it is a 48-hour test, we always try to begin the test at least 2 days prior to your whole-house inspection so that you will have all of your results on the same day.

If you are interested in reading more about radon, please visit the EPA website:  www.epa.gov/radon.