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Radon is determined to be the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. The Midwest is an area where radon levels are among the highest in the United States! Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas all have averages above the 4.0 picocurie level set by the EPA as a level at which action should be taked to reduce the levels in the home.
HOW DO YOU TEST YOUR RADON LEVELS?
Radon testing must be performed by a state certified radon specialist, like AmeriSpec. At AmeriSpec we use electronic monitors manufactured by Sun Nuclear Corporation. A short term radon test must be set for a minimum of forty-eight hours under "closed house conditions." These conditions mean that the home must be closed up for twelve hours prior to test and during the entire test, except for normal in-and-out through the doors. The heat/AC can be used as normal during the test. Fireplaces, exhaust fans, and whole house fans should not be used during the testing. The test is to be placed at the lowest "livable" area of the home. This is any area of the home which has the ability to be finished off. Any tampering with the monitor or the standard conditions of testing will be picked up by the monitor, voiding the test. If this occurs, the sellers or responsible party would be responsible for another test.
YOU HAVE YOUR RADON LEVELS, NOW WHAT?
You received your levels, now what? If your levels are below 4.0 picocuries, it is considered an acceptable level under the EPA guidelines, and no further actions are necessary. If your level is 4.0 picocuries or higher, action is recommended to reduce the levels in your home. The EPA recommends contacting a state certified radon mitigation contractor to determine the necessary actions to reduce the radon levels in your home. The most common method of radon reduction in homes today is a mitigation system. A mitigation system pulls the radon from under the slab of the home and vents it to the exterior of the house with a fan system installed with PVC piping. Many other steps are necessary to ensure the proper installation and operation of these systems.
WHAT IF THE HOME I'M LOOKING AT HAS A RADON MITIGATION SYSTEM?
Often uneducated home buyers will walk away from the home of their dreams because it has a radon mitigation system. Hmmm, think about it, a radon mitigation system reduces the radon levels in a home to under the 4.0 picocuries level, the acceptable level by the EPA. A home that already has a mitigation system present is actually a real plus, it's already been fixed. An uneducated buyer will commonly go by a house and not even test for radon, the old "what they don't know won't hurt them" belief. Or, they buy a house where the radon results were below 4.0 picocuries with the thought that they don't need to worry about it anymore. Truth is that radon levels fluctuate, that is why it is important to test the radon levels in your home every two years. A mitigated home gives you a comfort level that the results will be below 4.0 picocuries, but even then testing every two years is recommended to ensure proper operation of the mitigation system. | 
