Testing

Every home in North Carolina is prone to having a level of radon gas and the N.C. Radon Program recommends that ALL HOMES be tested. This includes apartments, mobile homes, homes with basements, and homes without basements. Radon gas is natural and comes from the l decay of uranium found in rocks, soil and building materials such as concrete. Testing your home for radon gas will help you determine the amount of radon you may be breathing.

Testing your home for radon is as simple as opening a package, placing a radon detector in a designated area, and after the prescribed number of days (usually 2-7 days), sealing the detector back in the package and mailing it to a lab for evaluation. Radon is measured in picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L), a measurement of radioactivity. The U.S. EPA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that homes with radon levels at or above 4 pCi/L be repaired to reduce the amount of radon entering the indoor air.

You may also have a trained and certified radon service professional conduct the measurement in your home. It is highly recommended that anyone having their home measured or mitigated for radon have it done by someone that is certified by either the National Radon Proficiency Program (NRPP) or the National Radon Safety Board (NRSB). The EPA recognizes these two agencies for certification purposes.

Testing is easy and affordable. Here are the steps every resident should take: Step 1: Test your home using a short-term test. If your result is 4 pCi/L or higher, take a follow-up test (Step 2) to be sure.

Step 2: Follow up with either a long-term test or a second short-term test: For a better understanding of your year-round average radon level, take a long-term test. If you need results quickly, take a second short-term test. Note: The higher your initial short-term test result, the more certain you can be that you should take another short-term test rather than a long-term follow up test. If your first short-term test result is more than twice EPA’s 4 pCi/L action level, you should take a second short-term test immediately.

Step 3: If you followed up with a long-term test: Fix your home if your long-term test result is 4.0 pCi/L or more. NOTE: If you followed up with a second short-term test: The higher your short-term results, the more certain you can be that you should fix your home.

Fix your home if the average of your first and second test is 4 pCi/L or higher. Many homes can be mitigated to 2 pCi/L or lower, consider fixing your home if the levels are 2-4 pCi/L.

Purchasing a Radon Test Kit

You may purchase a short-term test at the our website. Instructions will be included in the test kit order.