Radon gas is an unseen risk that could be in your home right now. Radon is not just colorless, but also tasteless and odorless, meaning you can’t tell if there are dangerous levels of radon using your senses. Instead, it’s important to get your home tested for radon to determine if you need to take further steps to combat your radon levels.
If you haven’t heard of radon you may be wondering what’s the big deal, anyhow? Here are some fast facts which highlight the importance of getting your home’s radon levels tested.
- Radon is a naturally occurring gas that rises up from the ground and into the atmosphere
- Although present in outdoor spaces and drinking water, levels are low enough to not pose a risk in natural, open spaces
- When your home’s foundation has cracks or holes, radon can seep into your home and up throughout it
- Closed in spaces like your home allow the radon gas to become trapped and build up to dangerous levels
- It is estimated that more than 20,000 people die of lung cancer as a result of radon each year in the United States alone
- Radon is second only to smoking as a source of lung cancer in the United States
- High levels of radon occur in as many as 1 in 15 homes in the United States
- Combining high radon levels with smoking raises your risk of getting lung cancer 1,000-percent
- Radon mitigation systems utilize fans and a tube running through your walls or along the exterior of your home to safely suck up the air in the house and circulate it outside to prevent a dangerous buildup of radon levels
It’s clear that high levels of radon in a home present dangers that should not be taken lightly. The good news is that most homes do not have high levels. If you perform a radon test it is likely that you will find you have nothing to worry about. In the event your test reveals high levels, the installation of a mitigation system is a relatively simple process and is highly effective at cleaning the air in your home and making it safe again.
