Test Your Home for Radon Today
January is Radon Action Month
When it comes to keeping your home safe, you probably have detectors for carbon monoxide and smoke. But it’s also important to test your home for radon.
Radon is a naturally occurring invisible, odorless gas. It comes from radium, an element found in most rocks and soils. Radon gas can come into a home through gaps and cracks in the foundation and floor of the building.
Once in the building, the gas can concentrate at levels tens or hundreds of times higher than the level outdoors. Radon levels tend to be especially high during the colder months, since most people keep their windows and doors closed when it’s cold outside.
At high levels, radon increases the risk of lung cancer, especially for people who smoke. Regularly testing your home’s radon levels can help you reduce or even prevent radon exposure.
How to test your home for radon
You can buy a radon test kit at your local hardware or home improvement store. You can also find these kits at online retailers. These do-it-yourself (DIY) kits cost between $20 — $50 and are designed for anyone to use.
The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) also has a limited supply of free DIY radon test kits!
To request a test kit:
- Visit DOH’s radon web page.
- Under the Q&A section, look for “How can I tell if I have radon in my house?”
- Follow the link to fill out a request form.
- Please allow 8 to 10 weeks for delivery.
How to reduce radon in your home
You can reduce radon levels by:
- Sealing and caulking cracks in your basement, foundation, and subfloor.
- Installing a gas-tight vapor barrier in your crawl space.
- Making sure foundation vent-blocking is clear and offers unobstructed venting for your home’s crawl space.
- Increasing indoor-outdoor air exchange by cracking a window when possible.
The cost of a professional fix is comparable to other typical professional home maintenance services.
Learn more at DOH’s radon web page under the Q&A “Where can I find a radon mitigation professional?”
If you rent your home, give a copy of the test results to your landlord and discuss their plan to reduce elevated radon levels.
How often should I test my home for radon?
If you don’t know whether your home has ever been tested, you should test your home now.
If testing has ever indicated elevated radon levels in your home, you should test on a regular basis. It’s a good idea to test radon levels in your home once every 2 years.
Even if you have taken steps to reduce the radon your home collects, you should test your home every 2 years to make sure that radon levels remain low.
Where to learn more
For more information about radon in Washington, contact the Radon Hotline:
- Email: doh.radon@doh.wa.gov
- Telephone: 360–236–3200
Get help with quitting smoking from the WA DOH Quitline:
- Call 1–800-QUIT-NOW (1–800–784–8669)
- Visit quitline.com
- Text READY to 200–400
