Frequently Asked Questions

Spikes occur due to Radon levels constantly changing – hourly, daily, and seasonal fluctuations are all common. There are different factors that contribute to radon levels, but essentially, changes in the air pressure inside and outside affect the radon levels. As Radon is a gas, it is continually seeking a lower air pressure area, moving from the soil to the air. Just like water always tries to find the easiest path downhill, radon tries to find the easiest path out of the soil and into the air. When water is running down a steep hill, it flows faster than on a gentle slope. Likewise, radon flows faster when there is a bigger difference in pressure between the high pressure soil and the low pressure air. This principle of pressure differences is the main causes for radon to enter your home and causes radon levels to change. Weather is the other most common factor for changes seen in radon levels. Changes in weather (rain, wind, season changes and colder weather) can change the pressure differences and therefore change how radon enters the home. Cold weather causes the ground to be more compact and creating pressure for radon to escape elsewhere. Usually this means that your home’s heat gets turned up or on. Heaters can pull radon through the home and cause levels to rise. Hot air rises, and if that air is rising and escaping your home, new air must enter your home to fill up that empty space. Some of that air will come from the soil and this can introduce radon into the home. Winter typically produces the highest levels of radon.

The radon gas moves from the soil into a home. Although it can seep directly through pores in concrete, the worst entry points are gaps in walls and floors. Any house, of any age, in any state, can have elevated radon levels. It really depends on the way your specific house interacts with the surrounding soil. Your neighbor’s radon level may differ substantially from yours. Radon poisoning is just one of the ways your house may be making you sick. Testing your home for radon is the only way to know whether your house is safe.

A radon level of 4 picoCuries per liter of air (pCi/L) or more is considered high. Radon mitigation (also known as remediation or abatement) is a process to reduce or remove radon gas levels from a building. While the exact type of radon mitigation system you’ll need may depend on the structure of your home, certain techniques are used for almost every type of radon mitigation procedure: Sub-slab depressurization systems or Sub-membrane depressurization (SMD) for dirt crawl spaces.