Be Safe: Have a Radon Test Conducted During Lung Cancer Awareness Month

How many of these people have radon in their homes?  The only way to know whether radon gas levels in your home pose a threat is to have your home tested.  But what is radon?  Radon is a radioactive gas caused by decaying uranium in soil.  It's colorless, odorless, tasteless, and the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers.  Smokers who are also exposed to radon greatly compound their risk for developing lung cancer.

Lung Cancer Awareness Month

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month.  Now is the time to test your home and protect your family.  If you are planning a basement remodeling project this winter, you should test for radon before finishing your basement.  Doing it right the first time is always less expensive.

Do-it-yourself test kits are available in-store or online and are easy to use. Simply follow the instructions and setup the test kit in your basement or the living area above your crawl space for the recommended period of time.  Afterwards, seal and mail the kit to the laboratory listed on the return envelope. Retain the serial number for your test kit, so you can track your radon test results online.  (Depending on the lab, and the overwhelming testing requests they receive in any given month, you may not get a report mailed to you as stated in the test kit instructions.  However, test scores will be posted by serial number online.)

Where to Get a Radon Test Kit

In Missouri, the Department of Health will send you a free radon test kit upon request.  If you live in the St. Louis Metropolitan area or Southern Illinois, Woods Basement Systems will mail a DIY test kit to your home for $15. Request your test kit by filling out this online form.

Test Results & Continuous Radon Monitoring

For more information on what your test results mean, check out the Environmental Protection Agency's website.

If your home scores higher than 4.0 pCi/L and you want a second opinion, consider Woods Basement Systems. We are a certified radon mitigation contractor and a member of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI). We can provide more extensive radon testing and if high levels of radon are found, we can install a radon abatement system to effectively return levels to an amount that is safe.