Radon Testing

There are several advantages to living in an underground home. The heating and cooling bill is less than what the above ground houses are, and the property tax in most places is lower as well. The upkeep of the exterior walls of an underground home is basically nonexistent. But one of the disadvantages is that underground homes are prone to radon gas.

How Radon Enters a Typical Home

Radon is an odorless, tasteless noble gas represented by Rn86 on the periodic table. Radon is radioactive and is formed by the decay of uranium and thorium in the soil.

So, testing for radon with an earth berm or underground house is advisable. Since Radon has no odor and no color, this means that without testing for radon we are not going to know if it is in the home or not.

It is important to do radon testing in above ground homes as well as for underground dwellings because radon has been placed in the category of being a carcinogen, and since it is a gas it can cause huge respiratory conditions. All the rooms in a home should be tested because there will be different levels in each room if it is found.

Radon testing for underground houses is especially important because radon gas is in the ground naturally from radioactive decay and when it is released in the ground it is unnoticed. Since an underground home is just that, underground, radon can be all around the dwelling.

Radon Testing Kit

Since radon is a gas it can enter the home through several different methods. It can come in through cracks in the floor and walls. It can also find its way in through the gaps in pipes that enter the home as well as through water pipes. Radon needs very little space to move through these little openings or flaws and may not even be noticeable to us.

When Radon starts to pool and then becomes trapped in a building it becomes more concentrated. As the concentration increases so do the potential health problems.

Testing for radon before construction has started and after the location has been prepared are the first steps to becoming aware of its presence. If it is detected in the beginning protective measures can be taken to control where the gas will go before it gets into the future underground home.

There are systems that can be used to vent out radon that use suction, vent pipes and fans to move it away and keep it from building up and concentrating in the home. If radon is found in your underground home and removal methods have been installed it is still a good idea to recheck for it periodically.

Written by Kevin Knatloa

First Published on January 20, 2014