Radon

Radon is silent and deadly. It is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US. A couple of months ago, Fidget and I were watching the news and there was a brief story about radon. We decided to send off for a free test kit. The ideal level for radon is below 2.0. The "safe" level is considered to be 2.0 - 4.0; you're supposed to fix anything above 4. Our first short-term reading was 16.6. So we followed the directions, sent for a second short-term test and contacted a local radon mitigator (someone who can fix the problem). Our second test was 13.8. So we decided it was well worth the $1500 to have the problem fixed.

Radon comes from several sources, but the main one is from rock--namely granite rock. The granite breaks down, releasing uranium and creating radon.

Our local mitigator came in and sealed our sump pump holes and installed some 3-inch piping which connects to a fan on the outside of our house. The fan is used to create a vacuum, and it sucks the radon and moisture out from below our foundation and expels it above the roof line. He follows up the installation with a 48-hour continuous radon monitor which will give us an hour-by-hour reading of the radon levels in our basement.

Having talked about all the mundane things in my life, I thought it time to mention something worthwhile. You can purchase a radon test kit at most hardware stores, pubic health offices, and there are a limited number available free on the internet. It's easy to do: Set it up, take it down and drop it in the mail. If you include your email address on the form they will email the results to you. Otherwise you can look on the website or they'll mail the results to you.

Please take 30 minutes and make sure your home is safe.