Radon in Alberta: What is Radon Gas and Why Should I Care?

It’s fall, and that means it's time to test your home for radon gas. If you've never tested your home before, Health Canada recommends that we should all should test our homes for radon gas at least once during the winter heating months (October to April).

Why should I care about radon?

Exposure to high levels of radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. According to evictradon.ca, the Canadian prairies have some of the most radon-generating soils on earth. For example, a recent study - http://cmajopen.ca/content/5/1/E255.long - showed that 47% of homes in Southern Alberta had elevated radon levels of 100 Bq/m3 or higher, and 12% had levels of 200 Bq/m3 or higher (which must be remediated).

What is radon gas?

Radon is an odourless, invisible cancer-causing gas that comes from the ground and can accumulate in your home, particularly in the basement. High levels of radon in your home pose a serious health risk to occupants. The only way to know if you have a high level of radon gas in your home is to have your home tested - you can buy a kit at a home improvement store, order one online or have it done by a professional. The test kit should stay in your home for at least 90 days before it's sent to a lab for testing (some test kits have a speedier time frame, but they are considered less accurate).

Image source: https://www.carexcanada.ca/profile/radon/

What if my home has high radon levels?

You can install a radon mitigation system, which will exhaust radon from underneath your home and prevent it from getting into the house. If the building permit application for your home was received after November 1, 2015, the building code in Alberta requires that a radon mitigation system was “roughed in,” which will allow you to install an active radon mitigation system with relative ease and little expense should you need it. This version of the building code requires a gravel sub-membrane layer, poly-membrane beneath the slab, a properly located, labelled and sealed radon pipe, and proper sealing around wall/floor joints to minimize radon entry into the home. If your home does not have a radon mitigation system roughed-in, mitigation will be more costly. Either way, you can book quotes from qualified contractors by searching online. Homeowners should look for a mitigation professional that is certified by the Canadian National Radon Proficiency Program (C-NRPP) to complete the job.

Should the company doing the test remediate the property?

As with other environmental issues such as asbestos and mould, we recommend that you have one company complete the test, a different company do mitigation work, and then have the first company come back to test the mitigation work.

Can a home inspector test for radon?

No. Health Canada recommends that the radon test stays in your home for a minimum of 3 months during the winter (October to April). A home inspector can confirm that a radon pipe has been properly installed or if an active radon mitigation system is operating, but they can't complete a test during a home inspection.

Should I have my home tested before selling?

Everyone should have their home tested for their own health and safety. If you’re selling your home, and you receive test results indicating the radon level is 200 Becquerel or higher, you must disclose that to potential buyers unless you install a radon mitigation device before listing and a 90-day long-term test indicates the new radon level is below 200 Becquerel. If the test results are less than 200 Becquerel, you can share the low test results with potential buyers as a selling feature. Posted by Liv Real Estate on October 20th, 2020

Posted by sara on Thursday, November 12th, 2020 at 3:28am