Here's my radon testing kit. They cost about $15 and you can get them on Amazon.
Radon testing for your basement is important if you live in the following states:
ANY OF THE 50 STATES!
And any of Canadian Provinces. (Hi neighbors!)
Look, I'll be totally honest. When I decided to finish my own basement I had never even heard of radon gas.
Then one day I'm sitting on my front porch, rocking in my old man rocking chair, drinking a frosty cold Belgian style beer and I look down the street. I notice what I thought at the time was the weirdest looking rain collection system attached to my neighbors house.
Turns out it was a radon fan and discharge pipe.
Someone in my neighborhood had gone through some considerable expense to have the fairly large pipe installed on the side of their house. So I decided to do a little research.
3 Critical Facts About Radon Gas
Sorry if it freaks you out a bit, but you know what - I like living - I think it's kinda cool to wake up each day and LIVE. And I'd like you to live too.
1. Radon Gas is the 2nd leading cause of Lung Cancer
This is not speculation guys. This is straight from the EPA government website. The first cause is smoking. At least you know if you're breathing in smoke. With radon gas you don't even know you're breathing it in. You could be sucking in boat loads of radon gas and never know it. It's odorless and invisible.
2. Radon is a natural gas, released by the earth
Yup, you're breathing in the farts of mother earth. Let that sink in… you are breathing earth farts. And they're deadly! Here's the kicker. Your neighbor might do radon testing and get completely safe results. But your house could get totally different results.
You need to test YOUR house specifically. Test kits are accurate and inexpensive - I recommend this one from Amazon - it's about $15. It's made by First Alert (highly reputable). The lab fee is included in the cost.
3. Radon is invisible, tasteless and odorless.
That's right, this deadly stuff is basically impossible to detect with human senses. It's a lot like carbon monoxide. It's different though in that it won't kill you or anything else right away. It's a slow killer - it can't take years or it can take a decade, just like smoking. Because it's so slow a lot of people ignore it. Then one day you're at the Doctor and he's like "you've got cancer" but by that time it's too late.
OK, are you freaked out? Maybe just a little bit?
I'm like your Dad trying to scare the hell out of you about taking candy from strangers. I love you, but I need to you to pee your pants a little when you see that creepy white van roll by while you're outside playing basketball.
Radon Testing - 2 Easy Steps
Here's what you need to do to make sure you house is safe from radon gas. Ideally you want to do this before you start finishing your basement, but after is okay too. If there is a problem, you can still fix it, even if your basement is already finished.
STEP 1
Buy and use 2 home radon test kits. Place both test kits in your basement. Let the first sit there for about 4 days then you mail it to a lab in Texas and they send you back the results.
Use the second one as the long term test. It needs to sit for about 90 days. Then send it off to the lab.
(be sure to get a kit like this where the lab testing costs are included in the price of the kit)
Here's a pic of my radon testing kit. That green arrow is pointing to the unopened testing pouch "thingy" not my half eaten apple.
STEP 2
If your test results are in the safe zone you're pretty much good to go. If they are in the "unsafe" zone, or close too it, you should hire a professional Radon firm to come out and do a second test and assessment. If it's still high when they test then you need to install a system to remove it.
How Do I Remove Radon Gas?
So what if your radon gas test comes back positive? Now what? Don't worry, you can install a fairly full proof system to ensure the air you're breathing is safe.
Here are the 3 main points to removing radon gas
1. Seal up any cracks in your basement walls and floor.
2. Install an exhaust pipe that runs from your basement to the top of your house. (this is the hard part)
3. Install an exhaust fan that pulls air from below your basement floor and out the exhaust pipe.
Should I Install My Own Radon Gas Removal System?
Hire a professional firm -
For me personally, I'd probably leave this one to the pros. The pricing I've seen runs between $800 and $1500 depending on your location and the size and condition of your basement.
Install your own radon gas mitigation system -
Obviously, I'm a DIY type of guy. I love the challenge, learning new things and saving lots of money. BUT...
Running that exhaust pipe up through my house or even on the outside would be the part I would not want to tackle. For one thing, I don't have tall enough ladders. I don't want to cut holes in main floors of my house if I don't know what I'm doing.
Some of you may be up for it. If you are I say go for it. Here's a great video from this old house that shows a few of the steps… but conveniently leaves out the part about running the exhaust pipe through your house.
Here's a decent web site that's walks you through what you have to do to install the vent pipe.
Well that about covers it. Start with the Radon testing kit and only worry about the rest if your test results come back high.
Don't just shrug it off. Decide today that you're going to be the type of person that takes the extra step to get things done right.
Be patient, so you can be alive to enjoy your finished basement when you're 90.
Cheers - Jason
Hi Jason- I had my home tested for Radon when we bought it 7 years ago. Would it be prudent or a waste of money to do it again?
Hey David - Unless there's been construction or a lot of dirt being moved around near your house - you should be ok. I suppose the other concern would be settling, if your house was new when you bought it then the soil may have settle and "could" potentially cause as issue. - Jason
My Basement is partially finished and tested high in Radon level. We did the fan to remediate. Would finishing the basement help lowering the Radon level?
Hi Ola - No. Radon seeps up from the ground, no amount of finishing will prevent that. However, if your remediation fan is working properly you should be set to go. I would recommend re-running the test to see that the levels are back to a safe level. - Jason
Can you have radon if there is no natursl gas in the area?
Hi Elaine - Yes. Radon is a gas emitted from the earth and rock in the ground, not necessarily a "natural gas" cache... if you will. - Jason
Hi Jason, Thanks a lot for the nice writing and all the information about the radon gas. I was searching for the gas and I came across your website which helped me a lot. I am buying a house in Rochester mn and the test for radon is 3.8 pCi ( the seller gave this information). Now I am worried if it is wise to buy this house since I have children and they want to have their bedrooms in the basement and I do not want to feel guilty to buy such a house. Do you have any idea about it. thank you so much.
Hi Ebi - Well... if it was me I would definitely want a radon mitigation plan. 3.8 is above the levels recommended by the World Health Organization. Lung cancer risk rises 16% per 100 Bq/m3 increase in radon exposure. Studies show that radon is the primary cause of lung cancer among people who have never smoked.
Sooo... putting my kids room in the basement, no go. But you can install a system to pull it out of the basement, many houses have these and they work well, but they do cost money. Just consider that in park of your plan and budget.
Good luck! - Jason
Thank you so much for your advice. I have paid the inspection to measure the radon again and I am thinking to install the system. But do you think after installing the system it is fine for children to have their bedrooms in the basement? Thanks.
Yes. I wouldn't hesitate to sleep down there myself once the system is in place. I would still periodically run a test though. There's probably 20 homes in my neighborhood alone that have systems. If you walk around yours and see long pipes that run outside of the house up past the roof - that's likely a radon fan and exhaust pipe. - Jason
Hi Jason, Thank you for valuable advice. I have another question about the foundation, I want to buy a house which was built in 2002 with a wood foundation and not a concrete, and most of the people suprizing when they heard of wood foundation. What do you think about it? and the price is the same range as the concrete ones too. Do you think it matters for resale?
Hi Ebi - Foundations really aren't my area of expertise. Sorry I can't help. - Jason
Hi! we had a mitigation system installed. Is is safe to finish our basement for a extra tv space or to have to dogs kennel red in the basement with the systemin place? I worry it still may be risky..
Hi Rener - The mitigation system is designed to remove that risk, as long as your system is working you should be good to go. - Jason
ps. You can always retest your radon levels if you want. The kit isn't that expensive.
Do I need to do anything if I never use the basement? I did the short test and it came back at 8.1. Should I do another test?
Hi Terri, EPA recommends mitigation above 4. Even though you don't use the basement the gas is still coming up through the house before being dispersed. Houses don't "breathe" near as much as the used to. I know it's a lot coin to install a system, but it'll give you piece of mind.
-Jason
What are Landlord disclosure requirements on effected houses? Can they still rent the house to a tenant with children?
Hey K4K- The disclosures just raise the awareness of the gas. I don't think it would preclude them from renting to a tenant with children, but I'd check your with your local yocals. -Jason
Hey Jason. I live in Ga. We are about to buy an older home from the 80s. The home does not have a basement but the epa website made it sound like radon could arise in any home :( In your opinion is it worth it for us to have home checked? It’s a separate cost with home inspection.
Hi Gloria - Two things: The EPA is correct, yes that's right folks your government protection agency is looking out for you, that radon can naturally occur anywhere. If you're house is sitting on a crawlspace and that space is well ventilated, then I'd say there's no need to test. Also, there are a lot cheaper ways to test for radon than dropping $400 dollars for a company to test. I guess the ultimate question is whether you think the existing owner will remediate the radon if it tests high, which is more of a question about market conditions.
-Jason
Is radon an issue if two of my basement walls are not below grade? I have a door to the outside and there are windows on all four walls. Thanks
Hey Bill - The above grade walls with good circulation definitely helps, but you should still test. Never know how concentrated it may be under your slab.
- Jason
We are purchasing a new construction slab house which does not have a basement. Do we still need to test for radon.
Deb - I wouldn't waste the time and money for above grade testing on a slab.
-Jason
If I am buying a home with a basement would it be more apt to have radon than other homes?
Hey Diane - Generally speaking yes. But it can easily be mitigated. Don't let the fear of Radon deter you from a great home with a basement.
-Jason
Can a house still have radon without a basement or is it less likely? We are about to rent a house and signed a lease saying that they don't know if there is radon in there or not since the house was built before 78. Also if I do get this kit how would I go about doing a test without the basement? But I just have it be on the floor of the living room?
Hey Shanna - It can but it's less likely and a little harder to mitigate. If your rental has a crawl space that's where you should test. If not, the living room is as good a place as any but charcoal radon tests typically require a few days without any movement in the house...read the label so you don't skew the results.
-Jason
Hi Jason,
So we live in a large apartment complex and it's located in the desert and we have high winds and lots of construction. Our landlord just performed the radon testing and they are now installing a radon exhaust fan on the side of our unit. Does this mean that the test levels came back over 4? We have a baby and a preteen in the casa so when I seen the fan I started researching and educating myself on radon and it seems like it is pretty bad over time. We have lived here for 2 years and this is the first time they have done radon testing...... And this is not a basement apartment it's just a ground unit. Thank you!!!
Hi Misty - It ain't no joke and I doubt your landlord would've installed a $500+ fan if it wasn't above 4. Most radon remediation companies test after they install the fan to verify everything is good to go, so your landlord should have the final results. If not, the kit is pretty cheap and will give you piece of mind.
- Jason
When installing a radon system , how long does it take to clear out the radon to normal levels. My basement revealed a 34.8 level during inspection.
Hey Linda - That's cray. To be completely honest, I have no idea. The common guidance out there is to wait at least 24 hours prior to retest, and no longer than 30 days. I'd say give it 72 hours and ventilate if you're able.
Best of luck,
Jason
Hi Linda, I live in a partially below grade, about 5 ft, condo with concrete flooring and cinderblock dividing walls. Should I test for radon? Do you know if my condo association would be responsible for a repair? Thanks for doing a needed and good service!
Apologies, I meant to address Jason!! ❤
Hey Marty - I'd definitely test. No clue on whether you're association would be responsible. The interweb indicate that most condominium declarations state that the owner is to maintain the unit, including the air space within the condo's boundaries.
- Jason
Small ground floor CONDO came back positive with high psi. Should we retest before radon remediation? One quote came back at over 4k!
Hey there, do you know if you finish a basement with a bedroom and bathroom that are walled off and the mitigator is on the other side of the basement in the storage area potentially walled off with a door will it still work in the bedroom?
We are in the process of buying a newly built house 2017. Inspector wants to know if we would like Radon testing. I looked at the EPA map, we live the a county with less than 2psi. If it were you, would you still recommend the test?
I have a daylight basement,we have a huge hole under out stairs straight to the ground because we have a sump pump, wTer comes up under it when it floods,im assuming if we have a radon problem it would be really bad, no way to coverage hole
You just gotta ventilate!
Does this mean that the atmospheric levels of radon are increasing at all times? How long does it take to decay to a safe level?
It caught my attention when you said that radon gas is odorless and invisible, and it is the second leading cause of cancer. With this in mind, I will be sure to hire a radon mitigation company before Monday comes. Since we moved to our old house last week, my children's allergies keep getting triggered, and I am afraid that it must be because of the high radon level at home.
We live in an old (1910) cottage with a partially finished basement that we use for our laundry room and storage. When I run a radon test, should I test the main level of the house (right above the basement) or the basement itself? Thank you!
Katie - I would only test the basement and follow the instructions. Most tests don't want movement in/out of the area during the test or you may get a false reading. If the basement is high and you're able to successfully remediate, then the upstairs will be inherit the improved radon levels.
Cheers, Jason
Jason, you have provided so much helpful information! The question I have is whether you recommend hiring someone to come in to do the test or if the tests on the market can be trusted on their own? If you feel the tests that can be purchased are reliable, do you have a specific brand you recommend?
The health of your family is a top priority. Safe radon levels are what you should want to achieve in your home, so you need to ask the professional.