Testing for Radon
Are you testing in the lowest level of your home that you use on a regular basis?
Testing in a basement (or crawl space) that is used infrequently is more likely to give a high result, but it may not reflect your actual exposure accurately.
Should I take a long-term or a short-term test?
Short-term test kits are a good tool to give you an idea what your exposure to radon may be. Most people start with a short-term test kit, if your results are more than twice the recommended intervention level, then use a second short-term test kit for confirmation and proceed to mitigation.
Long term test kits provide you a better idea of what your long-term exposure to radon is. Since the relationship with radon and lung cancer is linear, the long term testing (usually 6 months to 12 months) can provide you with a more realistic picture of your exposure.
Are the doors and windows of your house closed (except for normal coming-and-going) for the test?
"Open house" conditions invalidate a low short-term radon test result. It is acceptable to run air conditioning during a short-term test.
Where should I place my radon test kit?
We recommend testing in the lowest level of your home that you use regularly. During a real estate transaction testing usually occurs in the lowest level of the home like your basement.