Home renovations are an exciting opportunity to refresh a home, improve functionality, and increase property value. However, these efforts often come with hidden risks that many homeowners overlook. While you may take care to choose the best materials and professionals for the job, certain unseen dangers can emerge, and one of the most significant is radon exposure.
Testing for radon after a home renovation is a must to safeguard your family’s health and ensure that the improvements made to your home don’t increase your exposure to this dangerous gas.
The Health Risks of Radon
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas produced when uranium underground breaks down in soil, rock, and water. The alarming thing about radon is that not only is it colorless and tasteless, but it’s also odorless. Many homeowners are unaware that radon can infiltrate their living spaces, building up to dangerous levels over time without any immediate signs.
The consequences of radon exposure are serious. Long-term exposure to high radon levels drastically increases the risk of lung cancer for you and your family. The EPA recommends testing your home regularly to ensure radon remains at safe levels. It becomes even more critical after completing a home renovation project.
How Renovations Can Disturb Radon Levels
Renovations often create conditions that make it easier for radon to enter a home or build up to dangerous levels. Structural changes—including sealing crawl spaces or finishing basements—can drastically alter airflow, reducing ventilation and allowing radon to accumulate indoors. Even energy-efficient upgrades such as added insulation or new windows, while great for utility bills, can unintentionally trap radon by limiting fresh air exchange.
Construction work frequently opens new pathways for radon by causing cracks or gaps in a home’s foundation or walls. Mechanical upgrades, including new HVAC systems or sump pumps, may change the air pressure inside the house, pulling radon from the soil and into living areas. Knowing what to expect from professional radon testing helps homeowners understand how these changes can affect indoor air quality and why post-renovation testing is a critical step in protecting your family’s health.
Post-Renovation Testing
The best time to test for radon is right after completing any major structural changes to your home. Professional radon testing ensures accurate readings and dependable results. With specialized tools and experience, certified testers can detect and measure radon levels precisely. If those levels are high, mitigation systems can bring them down to safer thresholds, protecting your family’s health over time.
Understanding why testing for radon after a home renovation is a must helps homeowners see this step as a critical part of the renovation process. Skipping it can leave you exposed to serious yet entirely preventable health risks. Testing is a simple way to protect your investment, safeguard your loved ones, and take responsible action.
