Radon: The Hidden Danger Lurking In Your Home?

We take our health very seriously. We watch what we eat, try to manage stress, exercise and take our sleep very seriously. We educate ourselves and seek medical attention. With all we do to maintain our health, there may be a danger in our home that can seriously impact our health. It is the leading cause of lung cancer for nonsmokers and is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year.

That risk is Radon, a byproduct of the breakdown of uranium. It is radioactive but cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted. One out of every three homes checked in seven states had screening levels over the EPA’s recommended level for radon.

Is your family at risk? You can check the US Radon map here to find out if your area has a higher levels than what the EPA considers safe. So what happens if you search the Radon map and find that your home might be at a high risk level?

The first thing to do is to have your home tested to find out how high the level of radon is in your home. For under $20 you can purchase a basic kit that will check the air in your home for radon.

If you find that your levels of Radon are higher than the EPA’s recommended safety level, you will need to take action to mitigate Radon levels to keep your family safe.

Companies like Advanced Radon Systems help you mitigate your home’s radon level. They examine the construction of your home to devise an action plan to minimize the level of radon. They may install suction pipes into your slab to increase ventilation so that air contaminated with Radon is not continually trapped. They may also install systems in your soil to pull the radon from it and dissipate it into the air, keeping it from becoming trapped.

Abatement of Radon through professional mediators can be as inexpensive as $500 but can cost as much as $1500. The average price of Radon mitigation is about $950 dollars. Although that price may seem costly, it is far less costly than cancer treatment. Further, more home buyers are demanding radon testing as a condition of purchase. Unmitigated high radon levels have been known to stop the sale of a home. Between your health and the potential resale value of your home, mitigation is a cost worth undertaking.