{"id":1336,"date":"2019-01-08T16:42:49","date_gmt":"2019-01-08T22:42:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/?p=1336"},"modified":"2019-01-08T16:42:49","modified_gmt":"2019-01-08T22:42:49","slug":"protect-your-family-from-the-dangers-of-radon-gas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/2019\/01\/08\/protect-your-family-from-the-dangers-of-radon-gas\/","title":{"rendered":"Protect your family from the dangers of radon gas"},"content":{"rendered":"

For many, buying a home is a dream come true. However, if you\u2019ve been through the process, you know it\u2019s not an easy task. You must figure out how much you can afford, get pre-approved, make an offer, and get a home inspection.
\nIf you\u2019ve purchased a new home recently, you may be familiar with the dangers of radon gas. If not, January is Radon Awareness Month.
\nWhat\u2019s radon?
\n<\/strong>
\nRadon is an invisible, odorless, and cancer-causing radioactive gas. It\u2019s naturally found in rock, soil, and water. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer. It\u2019s estimated that 21,000 Americans die each year.
\nUnfortunately, there\u2019s no escaping it. Radon has been found in all 50 states. Levels can vary from house to house or even floor to floor. Therefore, just because your neighbor\u2019s home may have high levels of radon it doesn\u2019t mean yours will.
\nHow radon enters your home<\/strong>
\nDue to the difference between pressure in your home and the ground, radon gas can be naturally pulled in. Radon can find its way into your home through:
\n\u2022 Cracks in your basement floor or foundation;
\n\u2022 Well water or your sump pump;
\n\u2022 Exposed soil in a crawl space;
\n\u2022 Loose fitting pipes; and
\n\u2022 Building materials such as brick, concrete, and rock.
\nIf your home has high levels of radon, you and your family have an increased risk of lung cancer.
\nHow can you protect your family?<\/strong>
\nTesting your home for radon is the only way to determine if your home and family are at risk. There are no other signs that can identify if there\u2019s a problem in your home.
\nTypes of radon test kits
\n<\/strong>
\nThere are two types of home kits available; short-term and long-term. Short-term kits can be purchased online or at big box retailers and cost between $10 and $30. This type of kit should be placed in the lowest part of your home for a specific amount of time; usually a couple of days. After the designated time frame expires, mail the test kit to a lab to analyze your results. The results will be mailed back to you.
\nA long-term kit can be purchased the same way, but the cost ranges between $10 and $200. A long-term kit may collect particles anywhere from 90 days to one year. While long-term kits provide more accurate results, your family may potentially be exposed for a longer period. Experts recommend purchasing a long-term kit only if a short-term kit identifies a potential problem.
\nLastly, another option for testing your home is hiring a professional service. While this method is most accurate and delivers results quicker, it\u2019s also more expensive.
\nTesting for radon in your water
\n<\/strong>
\nIf you live in the city, the EPA provides testing guidelines that must be followed. If you live outside the city and have a private well, it\u2019s your responsibility to determine if your water is safe. Experts recommend yearly testing.
\nWhat to do if radon levels are high
\n<\/strong>
\nIf a test determines dangerous levels of radon in your home, contact a professional. They can provide additional testing, as well as design and install a radon mitigation system that is customized for your home. Once the system is running, follow up tests will be done to make sure it\u2019s working properly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For many, buying a home is a dream come true. However, if you\u2019ve been through the process, you know it\u2019s not an easy task. You must figure out how much you can afford, get pre-approved, make an offer, and get a home inspection. If you\u2019ve purchased a new home recently, you may be familiar with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2997,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1336","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1336","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1336"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1336\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2997"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}