Recently I visited my uncle living the USA, Pennsylvania state. He informed me that one of his friend bought a house and home inspection revealed that house had higher than normal concentration of RADON gas.
In Canada, the RADON gas is not that known as it is in the USA.
Here are some important fact about RADON
- Radon comes from uranium in the ground. Uranium is everywhere. It's in all kinds of soil. And when it breaks down it produces a radioactive gas that's odourless, colourless and tasteless. This gas is radon.
- Radon come into a home, through unfinished floors, pipes, windows, sumps, cracks in foundation walls and floors.
- If exposed to high doses of radon over a long period of time is a huge health risk.
- According to Health Canada, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. In fact, 10 per cent of all cases of lung cancer in Canada are caused by radon.
- As per Health Canada, if concentration of Radon is more than 200 Bg/m3 (Becquerels are used to measure radioactive concentration.) is dangerous to health.
- But regardless of where you live, there's no way of knowing if you have a radon problem — unless you test for it. One house can have radon levels next to zero. You go to the house next door and the levels can be off the charts.
- These levels also fluctuate. Depending on the weather, humidity, the home, or the time of year, radon levels will be higher or lower.
For example, during the winter we keep our windows and doors shut. This lets radon accumulate in the home. That's why radon levels tend to be higher in the winter. And for that same reason, it's also the best time to test for radon.
There are radon test kits homeowners can buy at big box stores or from organizations like Pinchin Environmental. But testing can be tricky.
That's why there are professionals who know how to measure for radon. Who's a pro? Someone who is certified by the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) or National Radon Safety Board (NRSB).
There are short term and long term tests for radon. Short term is usually over 2 to 7 days and long term is anywhere between 1 to 12 months. The longer you test the better. Health Canada recommends a minimum of three months. But what if there is a radon issue? Should you be waiting for months to find out?
Your best bet is to do a short term radon test in closed conditions. That means keeping windows and doors shut as much as possible — some homeowners do it while they're away on vacation. And if the results show you've got radon levels higher than 200 Bq/m3 call in a pro to verify.
If you have a radon problem it can cost $1,500 — $3,000 to fix it. You need to call in a contractor who has experience in dealing with radon mitigation. You need someone who is certified in radon mitigation by the National Radon Proficiency Program.
Putting a cap on sump pumps and sealing foundation cracks helps. But the most effective method is drilling a hole through the basement floor and installing a pipe with a fan. This process is called de-pressurization and it draws the gas from the ground to outside the home.
Is radon something we should think about? Yes. Should we panic? No. Is it more serious than something like mould or asbestos? As far as I'm concerned, they're all bad. If you have high levels of radon in your house it's bad. If you have asbestos or mould in your house it's bad.
Bottom line: Whether it's mould, asbestos or radon, any time our health or our family's health is compromised we need to be concerned.
Best regards,
Ritesh JoshiYour Next Door Realtor
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