Should You Get Radon Testing Before Moving Into a New Home?
Posted in Air Quality, on July 18, 2022
Radon gas is colourless, odourless, and is found in homes across Ontario. As uranium breaks down deep underground, it produces radon gas. This gas moves towards the surface and gets sucked into our homes' basement and lower levels, collecting in dangerous and harmful levels.
Because you can’t sense radon gas with your eyes, nose, or skin, it’s essential to have professional radon testing to detect it. Radon gas is the second-most leading cause of lung cancer after tobacco use and kills thousands of people. When radon gas is inhaled, the small radioactive particles decay inside our respiratory system, causing damage and cellular changes that lead to cancer.
Should I Test the Home I’m Moving Into?
At SafeAir, we recommend doing a complete indoor air quality assessment before you move into a new home. Ideally, this happens during a home inspection — discovering mold growth, for example, may help you decide whether you want to purchase a property or give you a bargaining chip to bring to the table.
The best radon tests happen over a 3-6 month period — radon gas can fluctuate with the weather or seasons, so a pre-purchase radon test may be difficult if you plan on moving in immediately. For the best results, plan your indoor air quality, prior to moving in, so you can take all the necessary steps when the property is empty.
Is it a Bad Idea to Buy a Home With High Levels of Radon Gas?
If a potential new home has high levels of radon gas or is in an area known to be affected, should you walk away? The answer is more complex than yes or no. At SafeAir, we believe that detailed, science-based information is the best basis for making your decision. Once you have and understand the results of a radon test, we can suggest what sort of changes or strategies can be put into place to reduce your risk and lower the radon gas in your home.
Call us to Book Your Radon Gas Test!
SafeAir’s radon gas testing is suitable for many types of urban and rural homes. Whether you’ve just moved in or are celebrating a decade (or more!) of life in your home, booking an indoor air quality test with SafeAir this year can help you feel more safe and more comfortable at home. Indoor air quality is a complex issue with many moving parts, and radon gas is only one of them. To learn more about radon testing or indoor air quality assessments, contact the SafeAir team directly.