Dealing With And Protecting Your Family From The Effects Of Radon
Just in case you didn't know, radon is a radioactive gas that can cause cancer
. The trouble is its invisible, and you can't taste or smell it. It's estimated to be the cause of thousands of deaths annually as radon gas can cause lung cancer. Radon is thought to be the second most common reason for cases of lung cancer, topped only by smoking. It is created by uranium that is present naturally in the soil, rocks and water, breaking down and getting into the air. It can penetrate buildings by moving up through the ground and into the property where it can become trapped, gradually building up. It can be a problem in new and old homes, and it doesn't matter whether your home is particularly well sealed or whether it's droughty. It doesn't make a difference whether or not you have a basement. It can be found in all sorts of different buildings, but you are probably most at risk in your own home as this is where you're likely to spend the most amount of time, and especially during winter when less fresh air is circulating. The only way to know whether or not your home is contaminated in this way is to be tested. The test is actually very straightforward and quick, and is well worth doing.
Getting Tested for Radon
You can use a short-term test to see if radon is present in your home. Some of these tests only need to remain in place for a couple of days while others will need to be left for a couple of months or even longer. In general it's better to leave something in place for longer as levels can fluctuate considerably between seasons and even day-to-day. While a short-term test would at least tell you whether or not radon gas is present, a longer term test will give you a year round average reading.
Lowering the Levels of Radon in Your Home
In truth, there is no such thing as a safe level of radon as it will always carry some risk. However carrying out radon mitigation can help lower this risk, and will lower the levels present in your home. One of the most used and effective ways of doing this is to use a venting system that extracts radon from underneath the house and vents it to the outside air. This is quite easy to put in place, and can be made even more effective by sealing up any other openings in your home. These types of systems can be easily installed in homes with crawl spaces. Radon cleaning is quite specialized and requires extensive technical knowledge and skills so it's essential to use a contractor experienced in these problems. Radon cleaning generally costs around the same amount as other home repairs.
The Importance of Lowering Radon Levels in Your Property
After radon cleaning has been carried out it's a good idea to test your home afterwards to make sure the levels that have been reduced. It's well worth carrying out radon cleaning, not only from a health and safety aspects, but also to ensure your property maintains its value. It is becoming increasingly common for property buyers to ask about radon levels before purchasing a home.
by: Chris Ramsey
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