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Radon measurement professionals in Minnesota are required to be licensed by the Department of Health.  Our company and technicians are licensed and insured.


AARST-NRPP trained professionals utilize ANSI American National Standards and best practices for radon measurement and mitigation; leading the radon community in scientific inquiry, communication, and radon risk reduction.


Professional Home Radon Mitigation​ / Accurate Radon Inspection & Testing​

We only use RadStar continuous monitors for testing because these devices are known industry wide for reliability and accurate radon readings. Tests take 48 hours, and the results are downloaded instantaneously.

We use active sub-slab depressurization and well established venting techniques known to reduce radon levels in houses.  We CAN make your home safe for you and your family.

Inspection | Mitigation

​​ Licensed & Insured

FAQs


​What is radon?

Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas that seeps up from the

earth. When inhaled, it gives off radioactive particles that can

damage the cells that line the lung.  Long term exposure to radon can

lead to lung cancer. In fact, over 21,000 lung cancer deaths in the US

each year are from radon, making it a serious health concern for all

Minnesotans.

Where does radon come from?

The soil. Radon is produced from the natural decay of uranium that is

found in nearly all soils. Uranium breaks down to radium. As radium

disintegrates it turns into radioactive gas...radon. As a gas, radon moves

up through the soil and into the air you breathe.

How dangerous is radon?

Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers and the second leading cause of lung cancer (after tobacco) in smokers. Thankfully, this risk should be entirely preventable through awareness and testing.

Where is your greatest exposure to radon?

While radon is present everywhere, and there is no known, safe level, your greatest exposure is where it can concentrate-indoors. And where you spend most time-at home. Your home can have radon whether it be old or new, well-sealed or drafty, and with or without a basement.

How serious a problem is radon in Minnesota?

High radon exist in every state in the US. In Minnesota, 2 in 5 homes has radon levels that pose a significant health risk, and nearly 80% of counties are rated high radon zones. Some factors that further contribute to Minnesota's high radon levels include:

Minnesota's geology produces an ongoing supply of radon.
Minnesota's climate affects how our homes are built and operate.

How does radon enter a home?

Since radon is produced from soil, it is present nearly everywhere. Because soil is porous radon gas is able to move up through the dirt and rocks and into the air we breathe. If allowed to accumulate, radon becomes a health concern.

Two components that affect how much radon will accumulate in a home are pathways and air pressure. These components will differ from home to home.

Pathways are routes the gas uses to enter your home and found anywhere there is an opening between the home and the soil.
Air pressure between your home's interior and the exterior soil is what helps to draw radon gas into the home via pathways.

Radon's Pathways into your home

Cracks in concrete slabs
Spaces behind brick veneer walls that rest on uncapped hollow-block foundations
Pores and cracks in concrete blocks
Floor-wall joints
Exposed soil, as in a sump or crawl space
Weeping (drain) tile, if drained to an open sump
Mortar joints
Loose fitting pipe penetrations
Open tops of block walls
Building materials: brick, concrete, rock
Well water (not commonly a major source in Minnesota homes)

Air pressures in your home

Minnesota homes commonly operate under a negative air pressure, especially during the heating season. What this means is that the air pressure inside your home is typically lower then the surrounding air and soil, and this creates a vacuum that pulls soil gases, such as radon, into the home via pathways. Even if the ground around the house is frozen or soaked by rain, the gravel and disturbed ground underneath the house remains warm and permeable, attracting radon gas from the surrounding soil.

Other factors also contribute to air pressure changes in a home, including:

As warm air rises to the upper portions of a home, it is displaced by cooler, denser outside air. Some of that displaced air comes from the soil.

Strong winds can create a vacuum as they blow over the top of the home.

Combustion appliances like furnaces, hot water heaters and fireplaces, as well as exhaust fans and vents, can remove a considerable amount of air from a home. When air is exhausted, outside air enters the home to replace it. Some of this replacement air comes from the underlying soil.


What happens after radon gets into the home?

Radon levels are often highest at the entry point-typically in the lower part of a building. As radon gas moves upward, diffusion, natural air movements and mechanical equipment (such as forced-air ventilation system) distribute the radon through the home. Radon gas becomes more diluted in the upper levels of the home because there is more fresh air for it to mix with.

Greater dilution and less house vacuum effect occur when the house is more open to the outdoors, as during the non-heating season. This generally results in lower indoor radon levels in the summer compared to the winter.

Understanding how radon moves through the home environment helps to explain why timing and location are important factors to consider when conducting a radon test.  Source: http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/indoorair/radon/index.html