How Often Should You Test for Radon?
Don’t let radon go unnoticed in your home. This tasteless, odorless and colourless radioactive gas can be present at elevated levels in homes across Canada. Testing is the only way to know the radon level in your home.
Health Canada recommends long-term radon testing for at least three months. Retesting is recommended after major renovations or changes to your home, and after installing a radon mitigation system to confirm that radon levels have been reduced. Regular testing can help ensure that radon levels remain low over time.
When Should You Test for Radon?
Radon levels change from season to season as the soil around your home grows drier or wetter. If your last test was clear, try taking the next scheduled radon test during a different season. Instead of waiting a full two years to test again in the spring, try testing a few months early so you can measure radon levels in the winter.
Any time you plan to move onto an unoccupied floor of your home, especially basements and partially buried ground floors, you'll want to run a new radon test on the occupied space. Complete your radon tests before moving into a basement area, even if that means delaying your use of the space for a few months.
Major renovations of your home, especially if they involve structural changes or foundation repairs, can trigger the release of radon. Painting the walls or changing carpet above the second floor may not matter, but finishing your basement or adjustments to your HVAC system should definitely require a fresh radon test.
Before moving into a newly built or new-to-you home, invest in radon testing along with any standard inspections. A short-term radon test at least gives you a snapshot of the home's current air quality. When possible, get permission to run longer radon tests that take a month or more if the sale will take some time so you can install a mitigation system before moving in if necessary.
How to Test for Radon
Testing your own home for radon doesn't require any special training or knowledge. All you need to do after ordering is follow the provided instructions and then mail them for analysis after a certain number of days. You'll know if you're under the 200 Bq/m³ safety limit within a few days of sending off your samples for lab analysis.
Radon is estimated to cause more than 3,000 lung cancer deaths each year in Canada, so it's always a good time to check your indoor air quality. If your home has elevated radon levels, a mitigation system can significantly reduce radon exposure. But you won't know whether mitigation is needed unless you test for radon.
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