What to Do With the Result
DIY charcoal kits cost $ 10 to $ 20 at hardware stores, and Radon 1 provides them free to Tennessee homeowners who ask. They are a legitimate first look when used correctly. Professional testing runs $ 175 to $ 200 and uses a continuous monitor over about 48 hours, producing documented, hour-byhour results. Professional testing is the right choice when the number needs to hold up, including real estate transactions, confirming a high DIY result, or verifying that a mitigation system is performing.
Once results come back, our guide to reading a radon result in pCi / L walks through what the number means and what the EPA recommends at each range.
What to Do With the Result
At or above 4.0 pCi / L, the EPA recommends mitigation. Between 2.0 and 4.0, the EPA suggests considering it, and families with young children frequently do, for the cumulative exposure reason above. Below 2.0, the standard advice is to retest every two years and after any significant change to the home.
Mitigation itself is less disruptive than most parents expect. A sub-slab depressurization system installs in about a day. A PVC pipe carries soil gas from beneath the foundation up above the roofline, and a quiet inline fan keeps it moving. Living areas stay accessible during the work, and post-install testing confirms the drop. Most homes end up between 1.0 and 2.0 pCi / L after mitigation.
Retesting on a schedule matters more in a family home than people realize, because homes change. Renovations, new HVAC systems, foundation repairs, and even a newly sealed and tightened building envelope all shift airflow and can move radon levels in either direction. Our guide to how often to test for radon covers the intervals worth keeping.
For Jennifer in Murfreesboro, the result came back at 4.9 pCi / L. The playroom stayed a playroom. The house got a mitigation system in early October, the follow-up test read 1.2, and the rug never had to move.