Do It YourSelf Radon: Facts About Radon

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There are no physical or environmental factors that can tip you off to whether or not radon is present in your home.
Your home may be structurally sound, it may be brand new, and it may be completely sanitized, but, if there is a radon source beneath your home, the following are factors will increase your exposure to this radioactive gas:

Cinder-block, brick or rock walls
Exposed soil in the basement or foundation
Cracks in the basement wall or foundation
An open sump pump hole or floor drain
Spaces between walls and floors
Exposed pipes or loose pipe fittings
Radon is an invisible and odorless gas that occurs naturally from decaying uranium beneath the earth's surface. You cannot see, smell or taste radon, but it's present nearly everywhere you go, and can get trapped and condensed in your home.
When trapped inside an enclosed space, it can reach dangerous and even deadly levels. Breathing radon gas damages lung tissue and is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States.
Consider these facts:
Radon kills between 5,000 and 30,000 people each year
Nearly 1 in 15 homes are estimated to have elevated levels of radon
Radon gas is the #1 cause of lung cancer in non-smokers
Radon can show up in any home, regardless of neighbors' test results

Your risk of lung cancer significantly increases if:
Your home has high levels of radon present
You spend a long time in this residence
You are a smoker or are exposed to cigarette smoke

Smokers beware!
Cigarette smokers who have radon concentrations of 10 pCi/L or higher increase their chances of developing lung cancer by as much as 18 times! That's an increase of 1800%.
How does radon get into my home?
Because the source of radon is below the ground, and below your foundation, the highest levels of radon concentration are usually found in the lowest levels in the home.
If you have dirt floors in the basement or crawlspace, cracks in the foundation, or openings from a drain or sump pump hole, radon is likely to build up quicker and in higher concentrations.
Protection: Testing is your first line of defense
The only way to know if you have radon in your home is to conduct a radon test.
The radon testing kit that we recommend is the Liquid Scintillation Vial. This is a simpler test which is more accurate and easier to use than other charcoal-based kits.
Radon is measured in Picocuries per liter (pC/L)
An acceptable level of radon in your home is 4.0 pC/L or less.
If the average of your two test results is higher than 4.0 pC/L you should take some action to reduce the level of radon in your home.
Experts recommend that you test your home every year to determine the level of threat to you and your family.
If test results are high?
You can always hire a professional to mitigate your home. An average job will cost you between $500 and $2,500.
You can also Do It YourSelf. This is where we come in. Do It YourSelf Radon provides you with the tools you need to fix your radon problem and eliminate the threat to you and your family. Find out how.

Risk of Lung Cancer

Radon is a problem you can fix. We provide the tools.