A Smarter Radon Detector

If you regularly read my blogs or have purchased real estate in Routt County, you probably know that radon levels are high in more than half of all homes here. Higher than the EPA recommends and higher than is safe for you and your families long term health (radon is considered to be the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US today!).

Screen Shot 2017-10-05 at 10.40.37 AM
*Image courtesy of www.airthings.com

If you don’t, then lets catch you up on the nitty gritty of radon. Radon is an odorless, colorless, tasteless radioactive gas that comes from the natural breakdown uranium in the ground. Trace amounts of uranium are located all around us, and therefore so is radon. Which just happens to be highly toxic. Outside in nature this gas is dispersed enough that our body can react accordingly. However when radon seeps into your well insulated, well sealed home, it essentially becomes trapped and concentrated in the air you breathe. Click here for more information on radon in your home.

It is relatively easy to test radon levels in your home and quite possibly you had one done when you purchased your home (which we strongly recommend). However what you might not know is that radon levels are constantly fluctuating, even throughout the day. So whilst the standard 2 day tests are definitely worthwhile, a longer testing period is better when possible.

Just recently I came across the latest in radon detection technology: Airthings. It looks like a CO2 detector or a Carbon Monoxide detector but it actually monitors your homes radon levels. And depending on the device, it can also act as your temperature and indoor humidity gauge!

Screen Shot 2017-10-05 at 10.46.10 AM

I recently purchased on of these gizmos and am looking forward to trying it out – even though I may not want to hear what it tells me! I’ll let you know how it goes. But most importantly if your home does have higher than recommended radon don’t panic! Radon mitigation systems are not as expensive as one might think and I’m more than happy to recommend a certified radon mitigation company to you.

Regards,

Charlie