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With November being designated as lung cancer awareness month, we here at Lake Country Builders would like to raise awareness about the dangers of radon in your home. Radon is a radioactive natural gas created by the gradual breakdown of uranium within water, rock, and soil. Behind smoking, Radon exposure is the most common cause of lung cancer, resulting in around 21,000 deaths in the U.S. per year. Radon can enter your home from the ground in a variety of ways, including cracks in the floors and walls, construction joints, and even your own water supply. We hope to use this month’s blog posts to raise awareness of this issue and show you how Lake Country Builders can help you to prevent radon buildup in your home.

It is essential that all homeowners test the radon levels in their houses to ensure their safety. The United States Environmental Protection Agency presents both short term and long term radon testing as options. Short term testing typically lasts between 2-3 days and are generally only used during severe storms or wind. Long term testing, which is recommended by the EPA, generally lasts around 90 days and uses more sophisticated radon detectors. Should your long term test results exceed 4 pCi/L, it is recommended that you take immediate steps to reduce radon levels in your home. 

There are many ways that one can go about reducing radon levels, however it must be stressed that this should only be done professionally. Methods for reduction include diagnostic tests, soil suction, sealing of cracks, and point of entry treatment to your water supply. Given that a majority of these methods involve updating a house’s foundations to prevent leaks, older properties are often at much higher risk of incurring high radon levels. Along with sealing, many homeowners opt to have a specific radon mitigation system installed. Besides the obvious health benefits, installing safeguards against radon can greatly increase the value of your house, as it is now a requirement for many home buyers.

At Lake Country Builders, we understand the dangers of high radon levels. We can connect you to a qualified radon mitigation contractor to test and recommend the right solution for your radon levels. Additionally, look to us for any renovations you may need to complete in order to seal cracks and leaks in your property’s foundation. Although silent, radon is very deadly, and we hope to work with you to make sure you never have to worry about it!

(Images courtesy of The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency/Minnesota Department of Health)