Radon is a natural radioactive gas that you can’t see, smell, or taste. Breathing in too much radon can cause lung cancer, especially if you smoke.
About 1 out of every 15 homes in the United States has a level of radon that needs to be reduced.
Testing is the only way to know if your home has a radon problem. If the radon level is high, you can take steps to fix it.
Test your home with a short-term test.
Testing your home for radon is easy and doesn’t cost very much. You can test for radon yourself or hire a professional to do it for you. If you rent your home, ask your landlord to get it tested.
There are 2 main types of radon test kits. Short-term tests take between 2 and 90 days. Long-term tests take more than 90 days. Start with a short-term test.
- Test for radon in the lowest level of your home that people spend time in. If you use part of your basement for living space, like a playroom, test there. If you only use your basement for storage, test the ground floor.
- You can buy test kits at home improvement or hardware stores. To order a test kit over the phone, call the National Radon Hotline at 1-800-SOS-RADON (1-800-767-7236).
- If your home has a radon level of 4 or higher, it’s time to take action. There is no safe level of radon, so you may still want to fix your home if the radon level is between 2 and 4.
Test your home again if the radon level is 4 or higher.
The radon level in your home can change. A long-term test is the best way to know what the radon level is over time.
- If the radon level was very high or if you are in a hurry, use another short-term test.
- If the level was close to 4 and you have time, use a long-term test.
If your home has a radon level of 4 or higher, fix your home.
If 2 radon test kits show that the radon level in your home is 4 or higher, make a plan to fix your home. You may also want to take action if the radon level is between 2 and 4.
- Be sure to hire a contractor who is qualified to fix radon. It’s a good idea to get at least 2 price estimates.
- For help finding a contractor or your state radon office, visit http://www.epa.gov/radon/whereyoulive.html.
- For help finding a radon test kit, visit http://www.epa.gov/radon/radontest.html.
