Radon levels in your house could be a threat to you and your family’s health. Radon is not detectable by sight, smell, or taste. But it may be a serious problem in your home. It can take years before symptoms of the toxicity show up.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that one out of every 15 homes has elevated radon levels that exceed safe levels set by the government. Is your home one of them?
What is radon?
Radon is a dangerous gas found in the earth. It’s odorless and colorless, so you can’t detect it on your own. Radon has been linked to lung cancer, skin cancer, leukemia, and other diseases. It can seep into your home through cracks in floors, foundations and walls or even through air vents if there’s an opening created by a faulty roof shingle or pipe leak leading to the outside.
Radon is naturally in the atmosphere in trace amounts. Outdoors, radon disperses rapidly and, generally, is not a health issue. When radon is in your home and can’t escape into the atmosphere, this is where it can become a huge danger to you and your family.
Where does radon come from?
Radon exists all over the world and comes from certain types of rocks. As radon moves through the ground, it can dissolve in water within the soil and become part of that water’s flow into your home. It can seep into basements and other areas where it can accumulate in high levels, which threatens health. Homes built on top of porous bedrock are at greater risk for having high levels of radon than those which aren’t. In areas where groundwater is present, such as basements or crawl spaces, you need to be especially careful about getting a radon test done.
This means that if you live in North Dakota, there is a chance you may be breathing radon without even knowing it!
The dangers of radon exposure
The dangers of radon gas are well-known. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that it is responsible for 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the United States. But what does this mean for you?
They manifest in the form of disease such as lung cancer in those who are exposed to it long-term. The only way to know if you and your family are being subject to radon poisoning is to hire a professional radon testing and mitigation service like FM Services. Tests are quick and affordable. Give our team a call today to schedule an appointment.
Common symptoms of radon exposure include:
- Persistent cough
- Hoarseness
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Frequent respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia.
- Loss of appetite
Radon testing and mitigation services
If you are concerned about radon levels in your home, there are several steps that you should take to mitigate its effects. The first step is to test for radon gas through a trusted and licensed testing service, such as FM Services. Our radiation specialist will perform tests to determine whether radon gas levels present a health risk in your home or office building, which usually takes about two weeks from start to finish. If your home fails the radon test and radon levels detected pose a potential health risk, we will immediately begin the radon mitigation process.
Radon mitigation is a comprehensive solution that can help ensure your home maintains radon levels that are safe for you and your family. This method involves drilling holes in the basement floor and connecting pipes to vents on the roof or chimney, which then lead outside. You also need to install an active soil depressurization system (ASDS), which sends pressurized air from the house through a pipe into the ground where it meets radon gas before it enters your home.
Radon testing is affordable and crucial for homeowners who want to protect themselves from this insidious gas. The goal of radon mitigation is typically to lower radon levels to below 4 pCi/L after installation. We will do a follow up check just to make sure everything is working the way it should. We do what needs to be done to keep your family safe from the health risks of radon exposure.
Keep your home safe with radon testing
Don’t wait! You may not feel any symptoms until it is too late. Now that you understand how dangerous radon can be, call our team so we can test and reduce the levels of radon at your home or business.
Testing radon levels in your home will give you peace of mind that there’s nothing lurking beneath the floorboards or behind the walls. If something does turn up, our team can take care of it and make sure your family is safe at home.
Schedule your radon test today with FM Services. We 100% guarantee our work.
Please call us for a free estimate.

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