Does radon make you nervous? It’s frightening to think of a silent, difficult to detect gas in your home that could be toxic. Fortunately, it’s fairly simple to determine whether your home has acceptable radon levels and once you’ve done that you’ll know if you need to call in a professional for radon mitigation. Here are a few other things important to know.
- It’s common to find radon in homes
The problem is that you need to be looking for it in order to find it. Radon is a natural, colorless, odorless, radioactive gas produced by the decay of natural elements like uranium. It’s in the soil under homes, and in the air outside, but it doesn’t really become a problem until it seeps into your home. The EPA estimates that about 15 percent of homes have higher than acceptable radon levels, but you won’t know if your home is in that number unless you test it for radon. Fortunately, it’s easy to purchase a radon kit and determine whether or not you need radon mitigation. Experts recommend that you test your radon levels at least every two years.
- Radon is extremely dangerous
In fact, it’s the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, causing about 21,000 deaths each year. There’s no safe level of exposure to radon because of the fact that it’s a radioactive gas, and no cessation of danger because of a change of seasons. While radon concentrations tend to be higher in the winter when heat pulls radon from the floor into the air, the levels can still be just as dangerous in summer. If you find out that you have high levels of radon, call for mitigation immediately.
- Getting rid of radon requires the services of a radon mitigation company
You’ve heard the terms mitigation and mitigate, but what does mitigate mean? To mitigate is to endeavor to reduce the seriousness of something. In the case of radon mitigation, the goal is to greatly decrease or eliminate the long-term risks. Radon mitigation systems involve a radon fan to prevent radon from leaking back into the space, a radon system tag to indicate the service has been performed, a U-tube manometer that visually indicates whether the system is working, and a radon pipe vent used to discharge air that contains radon.
If you’re looking for radon mitigation, ULB-DRY Waterproofing can help. A family-owned and operated company, we’ve served the greater Chicagoland area for more than ten years. We offer a full spectrum of basement services, charging reasonable rates for work that includes crack repairs, sump pump systems, basement waterproofing, basement windows, and floor repair. Our consistently high standards have made us an award-winning Chicago basement waterproofing contractor and earned us thousands of satisfied customers all over Chicago. For more information, call (708) 978-7558 or visit our website for a free quote.