Now is the Time of Year to Test for Radon

Radon system via KNSI News

(KNSI) – January is Radon Action Month and the State of Minnesota is urging you to test your home.

Radon is a colorless and odorless gas that comes up from the soil. It is a cousin of uranium and has similar radioactive properties which can lead to lung cancer. Healthy Homes LLC Vice President of Sales Bill Carlson says the Midwest is ground zero for radon dating back to the Ice Age.

“It’s like, “Well, why would Iowa be the highest? You know, how did they get that wonderful topsoil? They got that wonderful topsoil by the glaciers. That’s what’s caused radon to be present is really the glaciers more than anything. You think about how much rock was in Lake Superior. It’s really hard to visualize that but you know, it took it out, and then it receded and left deposits. And those are the deposits that we’re dealing with.”

Tests are provided by the state and can be completed in under a week. A link to purchase yours is here.

Carlson says now is the best time of the year to look into the issue because it is when the greatest chance for exposure is.

“So, when we heat a room, heat rises and when heat rises it actually pulls on the floor and that helps radon come into the home.”

Carlson says the most popular time for a radon test is when a home is sold, but you shouldn’t wait for that. A reading over four is considered actionable.

Carlson says a radon mitigation system can be installed for under $2,000. That can go higher if your house has a dirt crawl space. The systems have been mandatory in new home construction since 2009.