When it comes to your home, you want it to be as safe as possible for you and your family. Testing for certain threats, like radon exposure, is essential to ensure the health of your home and those living in it.
Invest in Peace of Mind: Radon Testing for Hillsville Homes
When it comes to your home, you want it to be as safe as possible for you and your family. Testing for certain threats, like radon exposure, is essential to ensure the health of your home and those living in it.
If your home hasn’t been assessed, it's crucial to conduct proper testing to detect its presence. If your home has high exposure, radon mitigation systems can be utilized to get your home’s health back on track.
Let’s take a closer look at what radon is, its potential impact on homes and occupants, the benefits of getting your home tested and the best next steps for mitigation.
What Is Radon?
Radon is a colorless, odorless gas that naturally occurs when radioactive materials break down in rocks, soil and groundwater. It can seep into your home through your crawlspace or basement and tiny cracks in your foundation walls.
Exposure to radon is impossible to avoid, which is why it’s so important to have your home tested. Breathing in radon can cause serious health problems for you, your family and even your pets.
The Risks of Radon
Radon is a radioactive substance. Breathing in a radioactive gas can cause a wide range of symptoms, including lung cancer. Some of the symptoms that you and your family might experience if there is a buildup of radon in your home include:
Pain or tightness in the chest
A new or worsening cough
Hoarseness
Trouble swallowing
Trouble catching your breath
Feeling like there’s a weight on your chest
Dizziness
Wheezing
Coughing up blood
Unplanned weight loss
If you and your family are experiencing any of these symptoms, then it may be time to have your home tested for radon.
How Radon Impacts Health
People exposed to radon often don’t start feeling the health effects of that exposure right away. If the exposure isn't mitigated, the effects build up over time.
So, even if you aren't experiencing immediate symptoms, prolonged exposure could lead to severe health issues such as lung cancer.
According to the CDC, radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer. Even if you have never smoked, you could develop lung cancer if there are high levels of radon in your home.
Homeowners who have been exposed to radon in the home have a 10 times greater chance of developing lung cancer than other people. According to the EPA, radon contributes to the lung cancer deaths of 21,000 people per year.
Why Radon Detection Can Be Difficult
Detecting radon in the home can be challenging because it’s colorless and odorless.
Like carbon monoxide, radon can’t be detected by your physical senses. You have to have radon testing performed to know if there is radon in the home. As a general rule, you should have your home professionally tested for radon if:
You’ve never had your home tested for radon.
You haven’t had a radon test done since you bought the home, and it’s been over a year since you purchased it.
You just bought your home or you’re preparing to sell your home.
Your home has a crawl space that isn’t waterproofed.
Your home has a sump pump.
You plan to have (or have had) any extensive home renovations.
You plan to finish your basement.
The Benefits Of Professional Radon Testing
There are home radon test kits that homeowners can buy, but those tests aren’t always accurate.
Testing the level of radon in a home requires specialized equipment and trained technicians who know how to read that equipment and assess the risk of the amount of radon in the house.
Once a professional radon tester has determined that radon is present in the home, they can recommend a radon mitigation system installer to make it safe.
Professional testing is highly recommended because certified testers possess:
Training and education about radon, its effects, and how to analyze test findings.
Specialized, calibrated professional testing equipment to detect radon even in small amounts.
Some things around your home can be DIY, but radon testing isn’t one of them. If a professional radon testing company finds radon in your home, don’t worry — you don’t have to sell it or move.
How Astrid Environmental Services Can Help
Astrid Environmental Services is a local leader in professional radon testing and mitigation. If you are a homeowner in Wythe, Bland, Smith, Grayson, Carol, Washington, or Pulaski counties, Astrid can test your home for radon and suggest a personalized radon mitigation strategy.
Irrespective of your home's size, Astrid's skilled mitigation technicians can assist in ensuring its safety.
Call Astrid today to learn more about professional radon testing and radon mitigation for your home. Your home should be a safe space where you and your family can thrive. Our team can help you make your home safe now and in the future.