Radon gas is a dangerous gas that has no odor, taste or color. If you have it in your home, you probably do not know about it. If you have a radon testing contractor inspect your home for radon and they find it, you can hire a radon mitigation and abatement service to remove it from your home and get the level down to a safe level for you and your family.
What Exactly is Radon?
Radon gas is produced by the decay of naturally occurring uranium. Uranium can be found in rocks, water and soil all over the planet. Exposure to radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. By some estimates, 20,000 people die every year in the U.S. from lung cancers that were caused by radon gas exposure. That has been reported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the office of the Surgeon General. It has been estimated that these incidents of lung cancer cost the U.S. economy $2 billion every year. The actionable level, set by the EPA is 4 pCi/L. When tested, one in three homes found over seven states and on three Indian lands, were found to have levels about the EPA level that is deemed as actionable.
How Does It Get into My Home?
The soil all around your home has uranium in it. As radon is produced by the uranium decay, it finds its way into homes through cracks and openings in the foundation. The first way to keep it out is to look for cracks in your foundation and to fix them when you find them. If you have had a sump pump installation company put one of those in your basement, you should have them put a cap on the unit so radon cannot get into your home through that route.
How Do I Find the Right Radon Mitigation and Abatement Service?
- Talk to your friends and family. If you know people who own their own home, you probably know at least one person who has hired a radon mitigation and abatement service to help reduce the radon in their home. Ask everyone you know about this and someone will have an idea of where you should go. Because radon is found in all 50 states, radon mitigation and abatement service companies operate in all 50 states. There is not a state in the country where homes with elevated levels have not been found.
- Ask about the company’s experience. This is the first thing you need to ask all of the radon mitigation and abatement service that you talk to. You need to make you you hire only the most experienced people when dealing with radon gas. They are the best qualified to get you the comprehensive radon reduction services that you need to make your home safe for you and your family.
- Make sure the company is insured, licensed and certified. Ask the radon abatement services company about their insurance coverage, license and certification but verify it as well. You need to make sure all of their i’s are dotted and t’s crossed when it comes to their insurance, license and certification.
- What is their reputation? After you have found a few companies, look into their reputation. You can check with the Better Business Burea, Yelp! and even Facebook. Most cities and towns have Facebook groups devoted to promoting local goods and services. Check with them to see what people think about different radon mitigation service companies in your area.
- How much will it cost? Sometimes it is easy to think the most expensive services are the best. That is not always the case. It is equally unwise to go with the cheapest service. That might end up costing you more in the long run. When you talk to your friends and family, ask what they paid for the service. Ask the Facebook group. Get several quotes from different radon mitigation and abatement services. The best quote will probably be somewhere in the middle of the pack.
andnbsp;