There are no safe levels of radon, but there is an action level, and you need to be concerned if you have a radon screening level higher than 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L). Testing your home is the only way to know if radon levels are high.
When to Test Your Home:
You should test your home’s radon levels If it’s
-never been tested or radon levels are unknown
-When preparing to buy or sell
-Before and after any renovations, especially after making any repairs to reduce radon levels
-Before making any lifestyle changes in the home that would cause someone to spend more time in the basement or lower level (like converting a basement to a bedroom)
THE BENEFITS OF RADON TESTING:
1. Protection from severe health conditions(lung cancer)
2. Selling Your Home is Easier, Homeowners should consider correcting a radon problem before making final preparations to sell a home. This often provides more time to address the problem and find the most cost-effective solution. In addition, the current occupants – not just the buyer’s occupants – will reap the benefit of reduced risk.
3. Radon levels change over time(by testing you will be sure radon levels are normal), Many conditions could affect the measured radon concentration over time in a residence. Major factors include season of the year, area of the home where the measurement is taken, changes in the residence itself such as increased or decreased ventilation rates, and atmospheric conditions during the measurement period. Indoor radon concentrations tend to be higher during seasons when the home is closed up, i.e., winter in colder climates. Concentrations are generally higher in the basement or, in your case, garden level, than in the upper levels in the residence. The radon exposure would also depend on whether the garden level or the second level is the area primarily occupied by the residents. Changes in atmospheric pressure may also affect the influx of radon into the home. The measured concentration could vary over short periods of time even if the average concentration over the longer period remains the same. It depends on the conditions under which the measurements are taken.
