Do You Have Safe Levels of Radon in Your Finished Basement?

The last thing I want to do is be an alarmist or jump on the latest bandwagon of things that are going to kill you, but some areas of Wisconsin (and other parts of the country) are known to have high radon levels.  At Hammer Builders we do a lot of remodeling and basement finish.  With so many of us using our basements as finished living area radon is a legitimate concern, especially if you spend a great deal of time there.  Many of us have treadmills in the basement.  I'm sure it is particularly bad to be deep breathing radon on a regular basis. I think of this all the time, as I am one of many people I know in Evansville Wisconsin with high radon levels in my home (I should say "had high levels," as now I have a radon mitigation system giving me peace of mind).

The U.S. Surgeon General warns that radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, second to smoking. For nonsmokers, radon is the No. 1 cause of lung cancer. The good news is that it is easy and inexpensive to test for radon levels in your home. For under $30 you can find out what the level is in your home. Although no level of radon is considered absolutely safe, the USEPA action level for radon is 4.0 picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L). This means that if your level is 4.0 or above, it is recommended that you mitigate the radon. If your level is high, the cost to install a radon mitigation system would likely be under $800 (if you have drain tile and sump pit).  Your family's health is worth at least that much. It is worth $20-$30 to find out.  For more information on radon go to Wisconsin Radon Info.

For more information on Madison, Dane County area home building or information on radon testing, mitigation systems, and installers go to HammerBuilder.com or email us.