Although you may believe your home is the safest place to spend your time, you may not be aware of the various surprises that may be hiding inside. Believe it or not, there are a few dangerous gases that you can’t see, taste, or smell, and radon is one of them. Radon gas occurs naturally when the uranium in rocks and soil decays, and it’s one of the leading causes of lung cancer. Discover how radon enters your home and what to do if it does.
Cracks and Gaps in Your Foundation
Because radon comes from the rocks and soil beneath your home, it may enter through any cracks and gaps in your foundation. With that said, it may enter even if you don’t have significant gaps. Although sealing the cracks and gaps is a good start to keeping radon out of your home, it’s not a permanent solution.
Through Your Drainage System
Believe it or not, an open-tile drainage system is an easy way for radon to get into your home, as there’s a significant gap between the flooring and the wall. Furthermore, it can also enter your living space if you have an uncovered sump pump system. If your home has either of these two features, you should test for radon.
In Your Water
Although it’s a much smaller risk than the other entrance points, radon can enter through your water supply. Meaning it can come in when you run your sinks, showers, washing machine, dishwasher, etc. Unfortunately, you may not know about radon in your home until it’s too late, so consider testing if you haven’t recently.
Radon Mitigation
Regardless of your home’s age and status, you should test for radon at least once every two years. With that said, you may need to know what factors impact radon test results to ensure they’re as accurate as possible. If the test reports high radon levels, you should consider contacting a radon mitigation service to install a system to bring your measurements down to a safe level.
Now that you know how radon enters your home and what to do if it does, you can keep your family safe. Although it may not seem like a big deal, radon can impact you further down the road. Your future self will thank you for testing your home for radon now.
