frequently asked questions

I'm buying a house. Should I have it tested for radon?

• The EPA recommends that all houses, regardless of what radon zone the house is located in, be tested for radon during point of sale.  The radon test is generally a separate service and must be requested. If the radon test is 4 pCi/L or greater, the EPA recommends the potential buyer negotiate with the seller to have a radon mitigation system installed with the stated goal of bringing the radon level in the home below 4 pCi/L.

I'm selling a house. Should I have it tested for radon?

• The homeowner of a house can test their home prior to listing the home for sale. If the homeowner does perform a radon test, most if not all states will require that the test result be disclosed on the whole house disclosure form you will fill out with your realtor. If the initial test by the homeowner comes back less than 4 pCi/L, potential buyers may still request an additional radon test as part of their home inspection. If an initial radon test by the homeowner is 4 pCi/L or greater, the issue will need to be addressed in the real estate transaction. A buyer may want to have a confirmatory test conducted. With an average radon level of 4 pCi/L or greater, it is recommended that a radon mitigation system be installed prior to placing the house on the market, to bring the radon level to less than 4 pCi/L.

Radon is only found in basements right?

• Radon is found with all foundation types, if fact, my highest measured level was above a crawlspace.

I had the house I'm buying tested and they had to test the crawlspace. Where do they put the testing device?

• For a house on a crawlspace, the test is completed in a livable room above the crawlspace.  We only measure the air that you are exposed to, not what is in the actual crawlspace.

 Do radon levels increase with the age of a home?

• No. The only way to know the radon level in any home, regardless of its age, foundation type, heating system, air tightness, or building materials, is to conduct a test. Elevated radon has been found in brand new homes and homes over 150 years old.

  Can vacant houses be tested for radon?

• Yes. Radon levels in a home, under typical operating conditions, will commonly reach a steady state with mild fluctuations about 12 hours after the house is closed up. Vacant houses will experience factors that may drive radon levels to lower or higher than normal averages, but the effect cannot be predicted. If the house is opened up for ventilation purposes prior to the test, it should then be closed up and a test started no sooner than 12 hours later. If short-term radon testing is being used, then the house has to be kept closed except for normal entry and exit, as if it were the winter heating season. It is recommended that the home’s heating and cooling system be operated normally for the season. If the average indoor level is 4 pCi/L, then it is expected that the radon level will be near to that average after 12 hours of a house being closed.

The homeowner's said they tested the home when they moved in and it was fine, should I have it tested?

• Yes. Radon levels fluctuate due to mechanical, environmental and physical influences. Levels can ebb and flow with the time of day and time of year. Every effort is given to provide the most accurate results. These results can only be deemed accurate for the date and time the devic​e was exposed t​o the indoor air of the house.​ 

The house I had tested had tests set in the basement and in the room above a slab.  The basement came back high but the room above the slab came back low.  Why weren't these two tests averaged? It would have came back below 4.0pCi/L....

• Tests in different foundation types are not averaged, they are reported as separate results since you can not breathe both foundation types of air at the same time.  If you are in the basement you are being exposed to that level of radon and if you are in the room above a slab, you are being exposed to that level. 

The guy doing the radon test set the test in the basement, but it isn't a livable basement, we've never used it. Is that right?

• What you consider livable and what others may consider livable is quite subjective.  Maybe they will put a workshop down there? Clean it up a little and let their kids rough house down there?  If it has a concrete floor and I can stand up down there, it is considered a livable space.

I heard that rain can negatively affect the radon levels during the testing period, is that true?

• Yes, everything affects a radon test!  Wind, rain, the time of day, the time of year all have some influence on the rate of radon entry into your home. Radon measurement professionals do not have the option of waiting till the most opportune time to do the radon testing and you really shouldn't want that.  Is it ever OK to be exposed to high levels of radon? Maybe just in the spring time?  I don't think so.
• Testing is done for a minimum of 48 hours to pick up the ebb and flow of radon as it enters the home.  The data is then entered into a computer program, averaged by the amount of time exposed and formulates the Picocurie level.

The radon test that was completed was longer than 48 hours, will that make the levels higher or lower?

• Actually, the longer a test sits, the more data it collects and the more accurate it is!  A short term radon test must sit a minimum of 24 hours, but can sit for up to a month.