TL;DR
- You can’t see, smell, or taste radon, so radon testing is the only way to know how much is present in your home.
- Any home can have elevated radon levels, including properties without basements.
- Short-term radon testing can take as little as 48 hours, making it practical during a real estate transaction.
- If levels reach 4.0 pCi/L or higher, it’s important to act to reduce radon.
You check for roof leaks, electrical problems, and foundation cracks because they usually show signs that something is wrong.
Radon is different. It can build up inside a home without leaving behind anything you can see, smell, or feel.
According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, the EPA estimates that 1 in 15 Arizona homes has high radon levels. That makes radon testing the only reliable way to know how much radon is present in your home.
How Does Radon Get Into Your Home
Your home doesn’t need a huge foundation crack for radon to get in. Radon can find its way indoors through:
- Cracks in concrete floors and foundation walls
- Gaps around pipes and utility lines
- Construction joints
- Crawl spaces
- Sump pits and other openings in the foundation
Once inside, radon can accumulate, especially in lower areas of the home with less ventilation. But having no basement doesn’t mean you can rule it out. Homes built on concrete slabs can still have elevated radon levels.
That unpredictability is important. Two homes on the same street can have very different radon readings, which is why your neighbor’s test results can’t tell you what’s happening inside your own home.
Why Is Radon Testing Important
As radon breaks down, radioactive particles can become trapped in the lungs, where they can damage lung tissue and increase the risk of lung cancer.
According to the EPA, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in the United States for nonsmokers.
This is where radon testing becomes important. You can’t judge your home’s radon level based on its age, condition, foundation type, or how well it has been maintained.
Testing replaces that uncertainty with an actual measurement, so you know whether the radon level in your home requires attention.
When Should You Test Your Home for Radon?
- When buying a home: A radon test can give you useful information about the property before you move in.
- If your home has never been tested: How long you’ve lived there doesn’t tell you the current radon level.
- After major renovations: Changes to ventilation, HVAC systems, windows, foundations, or other parts of the home can affect how air moves through the property.
- After radon mitigation: Follow-up testing helps confirm whether the system is reducing radon as intended.
- Periodically after your first test: Radon levels can change over time, so one low result shouldn’t necessarily be treated as a lifetime reading.
What Happens During a Radon Test?
During a radon test, a testing device is placed in the lowest level of the home that could regularly be occupied, where it measures radon in the air over a set period.
We use electronic continuous radon monitors that stay in the home for at least 48 hours.
The equipment records radon levels throughout the testing period and provides results directly from the unit. Their monitors are also calibrated yearly to help maintain accurate readings.
If you’re adding radon testing to your home inspection, schedule it in advance rather than waiting until inspection day.
This gives the inspector enough time to place the equipment, complete the required 48-hour testing period, and retrieve it without delaying the process.
Once testing is complete, your result is reported in picocuries per liter (pCi/L). You can then compare that reading with EPA guidance to decide whether you need further testing or steps to reduce radon.
What to Do if Radon Levels are High?
If the results are 4.0 pCi/L or higher, radon mitigation can reduce the amount of radon entering and accumulating inside the home. After mitigation, retest the home to confirm radon levels have dropped.
Methods may include:
- Crawlspace ventilation
- Sealing entry points
- House pressurization
- Ventilation systems
The right approach varies from one property to another, which is why elevated results should be followed by professional evaluation rather than a one-size-fits-all fix.
Make Radon Testing Part of Your Home Inspection
Radon gives you no warning that it’s there, which is exactly why testing matters. A relatively simple test can tell you whether levels are low or whether it’s time to take steps to reduce them.
Checklist Inspections provides radon testing in Greater Phoenix using electronic continuous monitors that are calibrated yearly and require at least 48 hours on-site.
With more than 27 years of experience helping Arizona homeowners understand their properties, our team can add radon testing to your home inspection and give you clear results.
Put safety first and schedule your radon test today.
