Category Archives: Radon Levels

How to Test Your Iowa Home for Radon

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How does a Radon test Work?

Since radon is an odorless and colorless gas, many people who have it in their homes may not realize it. Radon is extremely harmful, and it is suggested by the US Environmental Protection Agency as well as the US Surgeon General that every home in America be tested for radon, below the third level.

Short Term & Long Term Tests

The quickest and easiest way to test your home for radon is through a short term test. Some of the most common tests are called: Charcoal canisters, alpha tracks, electret ion chambers, continuous monitors, and charcoal liquid scintillation detectors. The only downside of short-term tests is that you cannot accurately detect the average radon level in your home throughout the year, but it works well if you need fast results to get an idea of whether your home may have a radon problem or not.

While short-term tests usually last a few days to a couple of months, long-term tests will take more than three months to complete. Alpha tracks and electret ion chambers are the most frequently used long-term tests. It is recommended by the EPA to first take a short-term radon test, and follow up with a long-term test if radon levels showed to be high.homeradon

In preparation for a radon test, you should keep your exterior doors and windows closed twelve hours beforehand. Choose a room to conduct the test in, one that is regularly used by you and your household, but not the bathroom or the kitchen. Find a place about 20 inches above the ground where you can keep the radon test kit for the instructed period of time without it being moved or disturbed. When the allotted time is over, seal your radon kit and send it to the lab. You can expect your results to return to you in a couple of weeks.

To learn how Ameriserv can help you test your home for radon, click here.

Radon: Iowa’s Dangerous Home Intruder

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How Does Radon Enter Your Iowa Home?

Radon is a radioactive gas that occurs naturally by uranium breakdown in soil, water, and rock. The most common way that radon can enter a home is through soil that lies around the foundation. Soil tends to carry a higher air pressure than the inside of a home does, and because of this, a house will absorb radon that is in the soil through holes and cracks in the foundation. Unfortunately, virtually any home is prone to radon entrance. Old or new, basement or no basement, it is estimated that one out of fifteen homes in the US has an elevated level of radon.

Radon in your Iowa Home
Another way that radon can find its way into your home is through water sources. Surface water won’t typically raise an issue; it’s ground water sources that are more likely to produce radon. For example, a private well or any other system that sources from ground water.

The last way that radon can get into your home is through granite, concrete, and other building materials. Although they can sometimes give off radon, they don’t run a high risk of causing it.

The most prominent routes for radon to enter include:

1. Pores and gaps in concrete slabs and foundations
2. Cracks in walls and floors
3. Floor-wall joints
4. Exposed soil (in a crawlspace)
5. Mortar joints
6. Well water
7. Building materials: brick, concrete, rock
8. Open tops of block walls
9. Service pipes that fit loosely

To read more about radon and the effects it can have in your home, check out our FAQ page. There is also additional information on the EPA website.

Iowa Radon Abatement: A Guide to Radon Reduction

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Getting Rid of Radon Gas in Iowa

Radon gas is a dangerous radioactive gas that is odorless, colorless, and tasteless. Iowa is known to be the state with the highest average levels of radon gas. It is also naturally-occurring. It is created through the decomposition of uranium and rises through the soil into homes, businesses, churches, and schools through cracks in the foundation. Radon gas can cause health issues, including lung cancer. Radon gas is the second most leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. It takes the lives of 21,000 people per year.

Radon Abatement in Iowa from Ameriserv

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The best and only way to tell if your home has high levels of radon is through radon testing. If your home is found to have high enough levels of radon, radon abatement is the next step. There are a variety of ways to decrease high levels of radon, in fact, the EPA cites 13 different methods to lower radon levels. The basic idea is to ventilate the home so that radon gas can escape, where it then becomes harmless. We here at Ameriserv can use sub-slab suction, which is one of the methods that the EPA cites. It is one of the most successful forms of radon abatement, reducing radon levels from 50 up to 99 percent.

If your home, business, church, or school is found to have high levels of radon gas, do not hesitate when considering radon mitigation. Do not wait until someone is sick. Contact us today to learn more about our radon testing and radon mitigation methods. Our service area covers all of Iowa, including Des Moines, Davenport, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, and Carroll. We are fully licensed and insured for all projects in Iowa. We want to hear from you! Give us a call today!

Iowa Radon: Knowing Fact from Fiction

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The Truth about Radon in Iowaradon testing, mitigation, iowa

Did you know that Iowa is known to have the highest average levels of radon in the United States? Radon is a naturally-occurring, radioactive, colorless, tasteless, and odorless gas that can reside in Iowa homes. Radon gas is the product of decomposing uranium in the soil. It travels up through the soil and into homes through cracks in the foundation. Though even low levels of radon gas can cause problems, high levels can lead to health issues such as lung infections and even lung cancer. Radon gas is thought to be the cause of up to 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year. It is almost completely undetectable, except through radon testing.

Regular radon testing is the best way to be safe from the effects of radon gas. The best times to get radon testing are during home inspections, especially before buying a home, but testing once a year is best. It is not just homes that can be effected, either. Homes, businesses, schools, churches; any structure can be effected. If high levels of radon are found, radon mitigation is the next step. Just like any other danger in your home, you want to find a way to get rid of it as soon as possible without anyone being harmed. Well, it is the same with radon gas. Rather than waiting until someone is sick, get radon mitigation right away.

Radon Mitigation in Iowa from Ameriserv

The best way to rid your home, business, school, or church of radon gas is through radon mitigation. You can also seal any cracks or holes in your foundation to prevent future radon gas getting into your home. Radon mitigation is a process through which a series of vents and fans are installed to clear out radon gas and lower radon levels. Some new construction homes in Iowa are even pre-installing radon mitigation systems to prevent high radon gas levels.

Ameriserv can offer Iowa homes, business, churches, and schools with both radon testing and radon mitigation. We want you to be safe, happy, and healthy in your Iowa home, so make sure to get regular radon testing. Contact us today to learn more about radon gas, radon testing, and radon mitigation. Our service area covers a large part of Iowa, including Des Moines, Ankeny, Sioux City, Davenport, Cedar Rapids, and Iowa City. Give us a call today!

Mandatory Radon Testing in Iowa Schools

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Iowa Schools may Require Radon Testingradon testing iowa schools

For many years, it has been known that Iowa has the highest radon levels in the country. Radon is a colorless, odorless, and radioactive gas that can lead to a variety of health problems, especially with long-term exposure, such as in a home or school. This gas is also the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, making this a dangerous chemical that should be avoided at all costs.

There has been a debate as to whether schools should undergo regular mandatory radon testing to reduce the risk of exposure for students. Because children are attending school every day, long-term exposure is possible, which has been known to lead to lung-cancer. This is why radon testing is being considered mandatory in Iowa schools.

Radon Testing and Mitigation for Iowa Schools

Some believe the schools will not have enough funding, and that radon testing is a low priority. The price of a radon test for a school is about $700, but this would ensure that schools receive quality radon tests. Many schools say they do not test for radon regularly, if at all. It is up to the people and school boards to decide.

Contact AmeriServ today to learn more about our service area, radon testing, or radon mitigation. We want to answer any questions you have concerning radon, and we will try to help in any way we can. Give us a call today!

New Construction Requires Radon Mitigation Systems in Iowa

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Come to AmeriServ for your New Construction Needs

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A new bill is in the works in Iowa that would make it mandatory for radon mitigation systems to be pre-installed in new construction homes. Iowa is known to have some of the highest average radon levels in the United States, so this bill would help lower radon poisoning across the state. If it goes unchecked, radon can lead to a variety of health problems. Radon gas is known to be the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States.

So how does radon gas get into your home? Well, radon gas is a naturally occurring gas that travels up through the earth and through foundation cracks where it gets trapped in your home. Unfortunately, radon is a colorless and odorless gas, so it can not be detected through sight or smell. Radon testing is the only way to tell. AmeriServ does offer a variety of radon testing options to help you quickly and accurately identify if you have radon gas in your home.

Radon Mitigation in Iowa’s New Construction

If it is found that your home contains radon gas, the best way to rid your home is through radon mitigation, which is a system of vents and pipes that expels radon gas. With this bill, a radon mitigation system will be mandatory in all new construction. If the homeowner believes there is radon gas, or gets a positive test for radon, all they would have to do is turn the system on, making radon much less of a threat in these Iowa homes.

If you are in need of a radon mitigation system for your new construction home, or in your existing home, make sure to call AmeriServ. We also offer radon testing for a quick and accurate result. Don’t let radon ruin your life, get regular radon tests, and come to AmeriServ for all your new construction radon mitigation needs. Our service area covers a large part of Iowa. Contact us today to learn more!

How to Protect Your Family from Radon in Iowa

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Protecting Your Iowa Home from Radon

If you live in Iowa, you have probably heard a little bit about the dangers of radon gas. What exactly is radon? It is an odorless, colorless, tasteless, radioactive gas that forms naturally as a result of the decay of uranium in the soil. The reason that radon is so dangerous is that it is carcinogenic, meaning that it can cause cancer, and it is so hard to notice and control. This making radon one of the leading causes of lung cancer, second 0nly to smoking. Fortunately, there are a lot of things that you can do to keep radon out of your home and away from your family.

Radon Protection for Your Iowa Home from Ameriserv

The first step in radon protection is to examine various ways that radon could enter your home. Normally, radon enters homes through the soil below the foundation. It can seep through any foundation cracks that may be present in your home, through gaps near pipes and wires, through sum pits, or through construction joints. Although most radon enters through the foundations, some radon could enter through your water. If you have well water, there is a chance that radon could seep into the water and later re-evaporate in you home through the use of water.

This is why it is important to make sure that any foundation cracks in your home are taken care of and to consult a radon mitigation expert to check for radon in your water.

Testing and Mitigation to Protect Your Iowa Home from Radon

Here at Ameriserv Radon Mitigation of Iowa, we offer a couple of different options to test your home for radon. These options include:

  • DIY Radon Tests: These can be purchased for $15, and can be done in around 48-96 hours to get an idea of radon levels.
  • Short Term Radon Tests: This test takes around 2-7 days and can measure radon levels in your home over a short time.
  • Long Term Radon Tests: These tests normally take over 90 days, and give an accurate idea of average radon levels.

Radon Prevention and Protection Services in IowaOnce you have tested your home for radon, what do you do with the test results? If the tests show that the radon level is below 4.0 pCi/L, you can perform a long term test to be sure, or you can test again in a few years. Radon levels from 4.0 pCi/L are considered dangerous, and another test should be administered right away. If the average of these two tests is above 4.0 pCi/L, consider investing in radon mitigation. Any radon test results showing a level of 8.0 pCi/L or greater should be followed by a second test, and, if the second test is consistent with the first, radon mitigation should be performed immediately.

If you are concerned about the high level of radon from your test results, call Ameriserv Radon Mitigation today to install a professional radon mitigation system. Usually, the mitigation system will consist of a pipe connected to the basement floor to vent out radon, and a fan that helps the radon travel up the pipe and out of the home. This can greatly reduce the amount of radon that is allowed to enter your home through the foundation.

For more information on radon levels and what to do to prevent radon exposure in your home, contact Ameriserv Radon Mitigation of Iowa right away.

What is the Radon Risk in Iowa?

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The Risks of Radon Exposure in Iowa

Most people are aware that radon exposure is dangerous and should be avoided whenever possible. But many people also do not realize just how high the risk of radon exposure is in their homes. For people who live in Iowa, it is very common to find elevated levels of radon within their home. Because radon is undetectable to the human senses (it is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas), it is important to have your home tested for radon to determine whether or not it contains dangerously high levels of the radioactive, carcinogenic gas. Ameriserv Radon Mitigation of Iowa has several different radon testing options for use in your Iowa home.

Iowa Radon Risk for Your Home and Solutions from AmeriservWhy should you test your Iowa home for radon? The USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) considers indoor radon levels at or below 4.0 pCi/L to be safe. Keeping radon below this level reduces the chances of developing lung cancer due to radon exposure. Lung cancer related to radon exposure is a serious risk in the United States: 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year are the result of radon. Exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer behind smoking. This is why it is important to make sure the radon levels in your home are not dangerously or unusually high.

Iowa Radon Risk and What to do About it

What is the risk that your Iowa home has a radon problem? Some statistics that shed light on radon in Iowa are listed below:

  • Iowa is a Red Zone: The entire state of Iowa is in Zone 1, the red zone. This means that the state has a high potential to have elevated radon levels.
  • Iowa Average is 8.5 pCi/L: The average radon concentration in homes in Iowa is 8.5 pCi/L. This is over twice as much as the recommended maximum safe level and is over six times the national average for the same measure.
  • More Iowa Homes have Radon: The percentage of homes in Iowa that have radon levels over 4.0 pCi/L and also of homes that have radon levels over 20.0 pCi/L is higher than any other state.
  • Radon is Prominent in Iowa Homes: Five out of any seven homes in in Iowa contain elevated radon levels, according to the Iowa Public Health Department (IDPH).
  • Four Hundred Radon Deaths Per Year: Every year, around 400 people in Iowa die from lung cancer that was the result of prolonged or severe radon exposure.

These are some of the risks of radon in Iowa homes that can be reduced by testing for radon and installing a radon mitigation system. This system will help to keep radon levels lower by collecting the radon and releasing it outside the home before it can build up inside.

If you are worried about the Iowa Radon Risk in your home, contact the professionals at Ameriserv Radon Mitigation as soon as possible.