What do you need to know about Radon in Spokane?
Radon can enter your home through cracks or gaps in your foundation. | Photo by Adam Winger
Sweet! You got an offer accepted on a house and now you’re getting ready for the inspection. Someone asks you, “Do you want to also get inspected for Radon?”
The problem is, you have little to no idea about what the heck radon even is or even how to pronounce it (it’s Ray-Don, in case you were wondering). If you are in Spokane County and have these questions, don’t worry, you aren’t alone. Hopefully, this article is able to help clear some of these questions up!
What is Radon?
Now that we know how to pronounce it, what the heck is it? Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is created by the natural decay of uranium, which is present in nearly all soil. Granite and basalt, which are everywhere in Spokane, contain more radon than most other rocks and are often used to create the building materials for homes and buildings across the county.
According to the EPA, radon disperses naturally in the atmosphere in trace amounts, however, most radon exposure happens indoors where the gas enters the home through cracks and other holes in the foundation.
Is there Radon in Spokane?
Well, there are a lot of rocks in Spokane. So many that we named a whole neighborhood after them (any Rockwood friends reading this?). Multiple studies over the years have shown Spokane County to have the highest levels of radon emissions in Washington State, though levels can vary drastically from home to home, even from the home directly next door!
According to Environmental health specialist Michael LaScuola in an interview with the Inlander in 2020, the highest levels he has seen appear in the “Spokane Valley, the foothills of Mount Spokane and the High Drive bluff of south Spokane.”
Is Radon harmful?
Over extended amounts of time (say, like living in a home), radon exposure can lead to lung cancer, according to the EPA.
How do I know if there’s Radon in my home?
A good indication of whether or not radon might be present in your home is if there are radon mitigation systems present on the homes around you. You can see an example of what a radon mitigation system looks like in the diagram below. However, the only way to know is to test! Test kits are cheap (roughly $15) and can be found at your local hardware stores or online.
You leave the kit in your home for 48 hours, then ship it off to a lab where the results are counted. If your levels are high, they may suggest doing an even longer test (three or more months) to confirm the levels are accurate.
According to National Radon Defense, radon levels are typically higher in the winter, so it may be the best time to run the test.
Vents are able to carry radon gas up and above your home, reducing radon emissions in your home by up to 99%
What do I do if I have Radon present in my home?
If you are uncomfortable with the radon levels in your home, you can have it mitigated with a radon mitigation system installed by a qualified radon service provider, which can cost between $800-$2,000, but can give you that peace of mind.
Radon mitigation usually works by installing a vent and fan that will ventilate any radon coming in through the basement or crawl space into the atmosphere above your house! All new homes built in Spokane, or additions to existing homes, must be built with radon mitigation systems included.
