Heard a home inspector say something about radon testing that gave me pause

He said most people just buy the $15 test kit at the hardware store, but the short-term tests are almost worthless if you don't seal the house for 12 hours first, and I wonder how many buyers skip that step and end up with a false low reading.

2 comments

2 Comments

wren_smith448d ago

Focus on the timing too. Most people don't realize radon levels can change a lot depending on the season and even the weather that day. A short term test during a windy week with an open crawlspace will give you way different results than a still humid week in the summer. That $15 kit is basically a snapshot of one tiny moment in time, not the whole picture. Seal the house all you want, but if you test during a storm or right after heavy rain, you might still get a number that doesn't match what the house is like most of the year. Long term tests are the only way to get a real average, but nobody wants to wait 90 days when they're in the middle of buying a house.

nathanbennett8d ago

Oh man you just described my entire radon testing experience. I did a short term test once during a windy rainy week and my house came back as "you need a new foundation probably" but then I tested again in calm weather and it was totally fine.