Thank goodness we learned from our first-home experience and decided to pay for professional radon testing this time. During our new home inspection we hired a local radon testing company to run a multi-day test to verify there were no dangerous radon levels. We chose a company that only performs testing, not remediation, to avoid any conflict of interest.
The test results showed levels above 4 pCi/L, which is considered dangerous and calls for professional mitigation. Because we completed testing during the inspection period, the sellers agreed to pay for a full remediation and even ran a follow-up test to confirm the issue had been resolved. That saved us a substantial expense and gave us peace of mind.
To be honest, our first house taught us the hard way. Back then we skipped professional testing during inspection and relied on a cheap $15 kit after moving in. The result: dangerously high radon levels—comparable to smoking several packs of cigarettes per day—which forced us to pay thousands to install a mitigation system without seller help. The installer created a system in the crawl space that uses a fan and piping to vent soil gas safely out through the roof rather than letting it accumulate inside the house. It was an expensive and annoying fix, but it worked. We documented that process and lessons learned elsewhere for anyone who wants more detail.
In short, that first costly mistake turned into an important lesson: always test for radon during the inspection period if possible. After the sellers completed mitigation on our current house, follow-up readings were very low—about 0.5 pCi/L, which is excellent and even lower than typical outdoor levels. If you live in an area known for radon, such as parts of Virginia, or anywhere with elevated risk, get your home tested. Many counties fall into higher-risk zones on EPA maps, so checking local risk is a smart step. Even after moving in, you can buy reliable test kits at home improvement stores and arrange for professional testing if needed. Testing and mitigation protect you, your family, and pets from long-term health risks related to radon exposure.
Have you ever dealt with radon in a home? Share your experience—let’s commiserate and swap tips.
Map image courtesy of the EPA.
Psst—We recently shared another nursery project on BabyCenter.