Save on Missouri radon mitigation this summer.

Summertime can be a great time to take care of radon testing and radon mitigation in your Missouri home.

Completely undetectable without testing, radon occurs naturally as uranium decomposes. Levels can fluctuate depending on home construction and time of year. Radon testing in Missouri, an area where the incidence of radon is high, is an important, and inexpensive health protection measure for you and your family. While Environmental Protection Agency guidelines indicate that levels above 4 pCi/l (about 4 radon atoms per liter of air) carry serious health risks, there are no safe levels for radon. Radon has been shown to increase the risk of cancer, especially for smokers.

Radon levels in your home can vary throughout the year. During the winter, when most people are keeping their homes snug to avoid high heating costs and radon levels can build up as a result. National Radon Defense, a network of radon mitigation experts, recommends testing during the winter. Similarly, in the summer months, when your doors and windows tend be closed to keep the cool air in, levels can also rise to dangerous levels.

One study in Alabama found that in areas known to have high radon levels, there was about a 1 in 3 chance that a home, tested in the summer and found to have radon levels below the EPA minimum (2 pCi/l), will have levels equal to or higher than the EPA’s action concentration of 4 pCi/l when retested in the winter.

Ideally, you should test for radon two or three times through the course of a year, not only to check for the presence of radon, but also to have a better understanding of how levels can fluctuate from season to season. Fortunately, testing for radon is not expensive; home test kits are widely available and quite reliable.

If testing indicates the presence of radon, you have options. Radon reduction can be as easy as sealing foundation cracks. There are a variety of ways to increase ventilation and decrease radon levels throughout your house, such as installation of an air-to-air heat exchange unit. A certified radon mitigation contractor can conduct an inspection of your home and discuss the mitigation measures best suited to your circumstances.

Radon mitigation systems have other benefits too: increased ventilation can help reduce mold, mildew and other allergens, simply through improved air quality. If you’re thinking of selling, having a mitigation system already installed can help to increase home salability—and you have no nasty surprises during the escrow process.

Certified and licensed professionals at The Radon Company, serving southwestern Missouri and northern Arkansas since 2010, provide complete radon testing and mitigation services. Save 10% on installation of a radon reduction system by scheduling your summertime installation (must be completed before Aug. 31).  Call (417) 597-9662 today and mention “Alignable” to take advantage of their summer savings offer or click here.