Radon gas is something you have likely been hearing about for a while now. But why is radon a big deal, when do you have to care about radon, how much do you have to care about radon, and how big of a pain in the butt will mitigating radon be? Living with a nagging concern about yours or your family’s safety isn’t very fun so we are going to touch on some quick notes for homeowners below.
Why is radon a problem?
Radon gas causes lung cancer and is the second leading cause of lung cancer in Canada, trailing only smoking cigarettes.
When should you look into radon?
Radon gas is generally a larger risk on the level of a building that is directly in contact with soil. Because radon is produced by uranium breaking down deep underground Health Canada suggests testing the lowest inhabited level of your home for radon gas. As a result of this when you are planning on having members of your family spend extended periods of time in the basement, developing a bedroom or a home office would be the major ones, this would be the most important time to check your radon levels.
How much should you care about radon?
Get your basement tested for radon. Either short term or long term radon tests can often be done cost effectively or for free. If you have elevated levels of radon in your basement where you spend considerable amounts of time, then you should care a lot. If your radon levels are lower or you don’t spend a lot of time in your basement then you need to care less.
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How much of a pain is having radon professionally mitigated?
The bulk of the radon mitigation itself can generally be done in a day or two. The radon fan and system can generally find a non-invasive spot to be installed and vent where you barely hear it and rarely notice it.