Get matched with top radon detection and reduction specialists in Lyme, NH

You can buy DIY radon test kits from a home improvement store and conduct radon testing, but these tests are often inaccurate. No matter the result, you should supplement DIY testing with professional radon detection and analysis. DIYers only have access to passive radon tests, which aren’t as reliable as active tests that professionals use. Plus, it’s very easy for DIYers to make mistakes during testing, leading to inaccurate results. If you’re moving into a new home, have concerns about radon, or are due for an updated test, hire a professional. 

The soil beneath your house is most likely what’s causing an increased level of radon. This is because soil holds radioactivity for a long time and it’s also what most buildings are built on. Another common source of radon is water from a source that hasn’t been through periodic radon tests, such as well water. Over time, the radon from the soil can inhabit other parts of your house like the foundation or plumbing.

Radon is present almost everywhere but, like sunlight, the concentration levels and how often you are exposed to it have a large part to play in just how dangerous it is. There are levels of radon that are acceptable inside a house, but above a certain limit, radon becomes a serious radioactive hazard that is a known cause of lung cancer. In fact, radon exposure is the number two leading cause of lung cancer (after smoking).

Professional radon detection involves placing test kits in the lowest lived-in level of the house for a period, usually 48 hours to several months, followed by lab analysis of collected data.