Safety is the number one priority in your home, but you may accidentally skip over some of the key services that help protect your family and your home from dangerous toxins. Unfortunately, the air in your home may not be as clean as you think it is. Radon is a gas that seeps into your home even if you believe your air is well-protected from contaminants. And the consequences can be deadly: according to the U.S. surgeon general’s office, radon poisoning is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States.

But My Home Is Very Well-Sealed

You may believe that your home is well-filtered or sealed up tightly enough to inhibit such gases from invading your home. However, radon infiltrates your home in ways that you may not expect. It can enter through the soil surrounding a home, because it generally appears as uranium decays, which happens naturally in soils over time. While the home’s building material itself may sometimes contribute to allowing radon gas to enter, it’s more often due to cracks in the walls or floors or even, in some cases, the water supply.

Won’t I Notice Radon Gas in the Home?

You may believe that you would notice a gaseous intruder in your home. But radon is odorless, colorless, and tasteless. Simply put, it’s time to stop making excuses and test your home for the potential presence of radon today. Experts are already equipped with the tools and expertise for the job, and know what to do to correct any areas in which leaking occurs.

If your home is found to contain high levels of radon, experts can help you to determine the source and mitigate the problem as soon as possible. At Clean Air Act, we’ll perform a thorough test, take the steps to find poorly sealed areas of the structure, and recommend services to help keep your home safe in the future. Don’t neglect this vital service for your health and safety. Schedule radon testing in Portland with our skilled technicians and get peace of mind that your family is safe from harm.

“Radon” is one of the scariest words a homeowner (or business owner) can hear. This substance is one of the great boogeymen of public health in the United States—but unlike childhood boogeymen, radon is real, as is its danger.

But most people don’t know what radon actually is, or what sort of health hazards it poses that make it so urgent to get radon testing done. It’s a long subject, but in this post we will try to get to the heart of the problem so you’ll understand why radon testing in Portland, OR is something you shouldn’t delay.

Radon is a chemical element (Rn). It occurs as a product of the decay of uranium and thorium, which first produce radium, and then radon. Radon is gaseous, colorless, odorless… and radioactive.

Radon decays as well, and the product of this isn’t gaseous, but solids that can adhere to most surfaces. These “radon daughters” are the main danger that radon presents, since if humans inhale these particles, they will stick to the inside airways of lungs. The radioactivity of these radon daughter particles increases the chances of lung cancer. According to the EPA, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after cigarettes and accounts for approximately 20,000 cancer-related deaths each year. Radon is responsible for the majority of the public’s exposure to radiation.

How does this apply specifically to housing? In 1985, an accident led to the discovery of large concentrations of radon inside many U.S. homes. At least some level of radon is present in every home: it usually enters the lower levels of a house, such as the basement, from the ground, infiltrating through cracks, the water supply, and gaps around service pipes.

You almost certainly have some levels of radon in your home, but don’t panic yet. The concentration might be low enough to pose little danger. However, you need to be certain—and radon can enter the best-sealed homes or those without have basements. Professional radon testers can detect if you have a potentially dangerous radon concentration, and then devise a mitigation solution that will give you improved air quality… and peace of mind.

You can’t see, smell, or taste radon, and so you might shrug off the possibility of it lurking around your house. Please don’t make such a potentially hazardous assumption. Contact Clean Air Act and our radon detection and mitigation specialists. We offer complete testing and abatement service to protect you and your family from one of the only true “boogeymen” you’ll find hidden in your home. Contact us today for radon testing in Portland, OR.

Radon is a radioactive gas, which appears whenever there are significant quantities of uranium in the soil or water. It is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. (behind only cigarettes): it gets caught in your lungs when you breathe it in, damaging the tissue and resulting in long term health problems. Radon testing is a comparatively simple process designed to determine the levels of radon in your home and whether they constitute a danger. The benefits of radon testing in Portland and other Oregon cities are obvious – to alert you to any danger to you or other members of your household – but a little more information can help you understand the particulars betters.

Radon can get into you house through any kind of crack or crevice, such as a fracture in the floor or walls, or a gap to allow plumbing or electricity in. It can also get in through crawlspaces, and can infiltrate your water supply as well (especially if you get your water from a well). If radon is in the water, it can get into the air once it passes through a faucet.

You can’t predict when or where radon will get into your home. It has nothing to do with your home’s location or the proximity to hazardous sites. The only way to spot it is with testing, which a qualified professional can perform safely and efficiently. You should always have a test performer before buying or selling a home. It’s also a good idea to have it tested before having a baby, bringing a new pet into the home or before undertaking any large home improvement projects.

A good Portland, OR radon testing technician will perform both short-term and long-term tests, then discuss your options with you when he test comes back. In the case of high radon levels, you should first re-test to confirm, then discuss adding radon resistant features in your home, such as sealing or plastic sheeting. Radon testing in Portland can be performed by Clean Air Act. Our Portland radon testing technicians are dedicated to the highest quality of service, so give us a call today.