Testing for radon

DIY or call in a pro

Listen here to the radio story (mp3)

Radio interview source: Bill Goebel, owner, MB Radon Service

In my area of the country, we have high levels of radon, which is a natural radioactive gas generated from the decay of uranium in the soil. Radon seeps up through cracks in the ground and into your house. Nearly all soils have uranium to some degree. Well water can also be a source of radon.

The gas doesn't have a smell or a color, so the only way to know if it's lurking in your home is by testing. Bill Goebel owns a radon mitigation service and says a simple do-it-yourself kit will give you the answer.

"It's a simple charcoal test" Goebel says. "A typical one is a three- to seven-day test you can do yourself. Or you can call somebody to do it professionally, and they use an electronic meter that would take about 48 hours."

If you spend a lot of time in your basement, the exposure is higher, because radon seeps in through the foundation. However, it affects all levels of a home to some degree.