If you have found a home you love that just happens to have a radon problem don't worry, fixing a radon gas problem is a lot easier than it seems. Radon is a radioactive gas that you can't smell, see, or taste but is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Exposure to radon will increase the chance of cancer overtime if the radon issue in the house is left alone. Here are a few things that you should know about radon in homes.
It's easy to test for: There are a few different types of tests that you can perform (short-term, long-term, and continuous) to test the levels of radon in a building. The most common type of radon test is the short-term test that are active charcoal-based. Theses will only take about a week to complete and are done most commonly by radon inspectors.
It's everywhere: As the radioactive elements break down in the environment radon will occur. So because of the elements breaking down in many places radon will typically be in those various areas in small amounts. Although it doesn't become a major problem until you're exposed to high concentrations of the gas at once. Smokers are at an even higher risk of radon-related lung cancer. Just because radon is everywhere doesn't mean that you have to live with it.
Mitigating radon in any home is possible with enough money and effort. Radon mitigation systems are great at removing large amounts of radon from any home. It is important to test your home because 1 in 15 homes has an unacceptably high radon level. This can be a DIY job however if you aren't familiar with your homes construction methods, radon gas, and sampling procedures than you should be aware that you can make the radon levels higher than before doing the process incorrectly. If your walls are radiating radon more than normal you will definitely need an expert to help you through the process.