Radon is a poisonous gas. Breathing radon can increase your chances of getting lung cancer, especially if you smoke. One out of every 15 homes in the United States has a dangerous level of radon.
Testing your home is the only way to know if your home has a radon problem. If the radon level is high, you can take steps to fix it.
Test your home with a short-term test.
You can test for radon yourself or hire someone to do it for you. If you rent your home, ask your landlord to get it tested.
There are 2 main types of radon test kits. Short-term tests take between 2 and 90 days. Long-term tests take more than 90 days. Start with a short-term test.
- Test for radon in the lowest lived-in level of your home. If you use part of your basement for living space, like a playroom, test there. If you use your basement only for storage, test the ground floor.
- You can buy test kits at home improvement or hardware stores. To order a test kit over the phone, call the National Radon Hotline at 1-800-SOS-RADON (1-800-767-7236).
- If your home has a radon level of 4 or higher, it’s time to take action. There is no safe level of radon, so you may still want to fix your home if the radon level is lower than 4.
Test your home again if the radon level is 4 or higher.
The radon level in your home can change. A long-term test is the best way to know how high the radon level is over time.
- If the radon level was very high or if you are in a hurry, use another short-term test.
- If the level was close to 4 and you have time, use a long-term test.
If your home has a radon level of 4 or higher, fix your home.
If 2 radon test kits show the radon level in your home is 4 or higher, make a plan to fix your home. You may want to fix it if the radon level is between 2 and 4.
