Winter is the best time to test homes for radon gas

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers in the U.S. That’s according to the Environmental Protection Agency, who estimates that it causes 21,000 deaths per year.

The EPA recommends testing your home often for radon gas.

Radon Professionals in Pocatello, formerly known by Rocky Mountain Radon, is a company specializing in radon removal. It said one in three Idaho homes tests positive for high levels of radon.

Ali Gorny, a mitigator for Radon Professionals, said a level four is considered high and the homeowner should take action. But Gorny said anything above a level of two can be considered high enough to be dangerous.

Gorny said radon is so dangerous because it can exist for long periods of time without ever knowing it’s there. You can’t see it, smell it or taste it. Gorny said it’s one of the only other class-A carcinogens besides cigarettes that’s directly linked to lung cancer.

So the longer people are exposed, the more toxic it can be.

She said homeowners should test for radon every two years. She said lower levels of the homes are typically more at risk for high levels based on how radon enters the home.

“One of the main sources it can enter in is if it’s a house where it has a basement, it comes up through the slab – through the concrete slab,” Gorny said. “If it’s a house that has a crawl space, then it would be from the crawl space.”

Levels can be even higher in the winter because there’s typically less ventilation, like open windows, to let radon out.

Gorny said self-test kits are a great way to check the radon levels in your home. If levels are high, call a radon removal company to come install an exhaust system.

The exhaust system pulls out the contaminated air and releases radon from the home.

Gorny said while there is an easy fix for radon in the home, it’s still not something people should take lightly.

And people who have dealt with radon first-hand agree.

“I don’t think you know what the levels are in your house until you get it tested,” said Lara Agnew, who has used self-test kits before. “You may have hardly any levels of radon, you may have large levels of radon. So it’s important that you find out and do something about it.”

“Because our kids sleep downstairs in the basement, we thought it was really super important to get it taken care of,” said Sarah McNabb, who is currently using a radon exhaust system. “Just a little bit of radon in your home is like smoking a cigarette for eight or nine hours. So you can imagine long-term what having your kids down there would do.”

Testing kits can be found at stores like Home Depot. They can also be ordered online at the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s website.

Radon professionals said testing kits are usually around $10 and instructions are very user-friendly.

January is also Radon Action Month, so the state is offering discounts on testing kits. To get a discount on a kit, just go through the Department of Health and Welfare.

Anyone with questions or who needs help with radon kits, or if you test positive for high levels of radon, you can contact Radon Professionals at 208-317-3603.