HOW OFTEN SHOULD
YOU TEST?
There are some additional considerations to keep in mind when determining the ideal frequency of radon tests for your house. For instance, it’s a good idea to test for radon before and after performing any major structural renovations which could potentially impact radon’s ability to enter your home. Another wise tactic to employ is to test for radon during different seasons. If your last radon test was performed in the cooler weather, for instance, schedule your next radon test for a warmer time.
Many experts recommend having a radon test performed every two years, but if you find yourself spending more time in a lower level of your house than usual, are planning a renovation, or notice any new cracks or gaps in your home’s structure, testing before then is also a good idea.
IT DEPENDS
9
Brooks: “So we will explain to both the parent and the child how simple the kit is,” crinkle, “how you basically have to follow the directions on the back here which is writing your name, what time you put out the kit…”
Reporter: Which means hanging a small sponge at about chest height for three days. And Brooks has got a special tactic.
Brooks: “One of the things I often really try to do is to get the kid to want to do it. Because I very rarely get the parents to open it up, but I can very frequently get the kids to open it up and do the testing.”
Morgan Hill: “In Garfield County, much like the rest of the state, approximately forty percent of homes have tested above the EPA’s action limit for radon.”
Reporter: Morgan Hill is an environmental health specialist with the county. Radon comes from radioactive rock underground… and there’s a lot of that in Colorado. She’s tried several different ways over the years of raising awareness about the powerful gas. When Dr. Brooks approached her about handing out testing kits at the doctor’s office, she was excited.
Hill: “In my personal life I’ve had friends that have kids and then when they have kids they’re like, ‘Oh I need to test for radon!’ [Laughs]... Whereas when it’s just themselves they might not think of it as much.”
Reporter: It’s especially important to test for in the winter, because it’s more likely to build up in homes with closed up doors and windows. Hill points out catching high radon is actually a unique opportunity.
Hill: “It’s a cancer risk that you can do something about. Cause so often cancer risks are difficult to control. You know we try to eat more fruits or vegetables, and maybe buy organic so we’re not eating as many pesticides. Even then it can be difficult.”
Reporter: Test kits are free and take seventy two hours to gather radon samples, then can be put back in the mail at no cost. If they come back with high readings, Hill arranges a second test, just to make sure. In the end, homeowners can bring those levels down with some simple work with a crawlspace or basement. It costs anywhere from twelve hundred to three thousand dollars to do that.