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Radon Basics in Iowa

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The Basic Facts About Radon

Radon is a colorless and odorless gas that forms from the decay of uranium in rocks and
Radon mitigation in Iowa by AmerServ Radon Mitigationfilling the soil with radon. The entire state of Iowa is in the red zone for radon, meaning that every county in Iowa has the potential for higher than normal level of radon.

Radon can damage lung tissue, which increases the risk of lung cancer. It is estimated that there are 20,000 lung cancer death per year in the United States caused by radon. Radon can enter your home in many ways. Some of these are:

  • Cracks in the walls
  • Cracks in the floor
  • Gaps around pipes
  • Construction joints
  • Cavities inside the walls

Radon coming up through the soil and into your home, will build up and be trapped. The effects of radon can go completely unnoticed for years after exposure. Some of the symptoms that you may have from high levels of radon are:

  • Wheezing
  • Persistent cough
  • Heavy breathing
  • Lung infections

Even if you don’t have any of these symptoms, doesn’t mean that you aren’t being harmed by high level of radon. A radon level of 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or higher is cause for concern. Even a level of 4 pCi/L can pose a risk. It is important to have a professional come and test your home for radon. The experts at AmeriServ Radon Mitigation has the equipment and expertise to come and test your home and offer radon mitigation to get this harmful gas out of your home.

Solutions for High Radon Levels in Your Iowa Home

AmeriServ Radon Mitigation can come and test your home through either short-term testing or long-term testing. S

Short term testing is done using several different methods:

  • Charcoal canisters – these canisters containers activate charcoal. Radon is absorbed into the charcoal and then is measured
  • Electret ion chamber – this method is used to measure radon in water
  • Continuous monitors – this monitors hour by hour measurement of radon
  • Liquid scintillation detectors – this method is similar to charcoal measurement except the analysis is accomplished by treating the charcoal with scintillation fluid and then analyzing the fluid using scintillation counter.

Short term testing is usually completed in 2 to 3 days.

Long term testing will last for 90 days or more. Radon can fluctuate through the year due to weather conditions, operation of furnaces and fireplaces and the opening and closing of windows and doors. Long term testing gives a more accurate reading to tell you your home’s year-round average radon level. Long term testing is done one of two ways:

  • Alpha track
  • Electret detectors

If the testing shows that your home is high in radon, AmeriServe Radon Mitigation will install a radon mitigation system. This system is done by drilling a hole in your foundation which creates a suction point. Then a PVC pipe is connected through this hole to use as a vent for the radon gas. A fan is then connected to the pipe to ensure that the air flow is in the right direction. This system will direct the radon from your home to the outside.

Don’t let radon become a health issue to you and your family. Let the professionals at AmeriServ Radon Mitigation test your Iowa home and offer you the solution you need to get this harmful gas out of your home. Contact us today!

Radon Testing and Mitigation for Buying A Home

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Radon Testing and Mitigation for Buying a Home

radon testing, radon mitigationBuying a home can be really exciting. Getting a fresh start almost. You can change what you didn’t like about your old house. Or maybe this is your first time buying a house, and it’s a whole new level of freedom for most. You get to make it your own. But if you don’t check those radon levels, the whole new level of freedom or the chance for a fresh start may become a lot more difficult for you. When you are purchasing a home there are many different things that you need to remember and have done before you sign that last piece of paper. Before you purchase your new home in the state of Iowa, radon testing is a must. Let AmeriServ be your Iowa Radon Mitigation professional service provider.

Radon is a radioactive gas that forms when radium decays. It is colorless and odorless. This gas can be very harmful, and even deadly. But unfortunately it’s most common in the homes of many people and they generally are not even aware of it.

As a buyer of a new home, you have the right to ask the seller to produce results of a radon test. You can either accept an old test that was done or ask them to have a new one performed. The EPA reports that radon can be a problem in any type of home new or old.

If there is radon detected in the home, as a buyer, you have the right to select radon testing and can request a radon mitigation Iowa specialist to come in and get the radon levels down so it is safe for you and your family.  This is a silent but deadly problem that affects thousands of people every year. Don’t let it affect you or your family. Contact us today at AmeriServ Radon Mitigation Iowa for professional radon testing and mitigation.

Radon Testing Iowa Solutions

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The Importance of Radon Testing in IowaCommercial Building Inspector Iowa

Your family could possibly be at the risk of developing lung cancer from the radioactive, colorless, odorless and tasteless gas called RADON. AmeriServ ‘s Radon testing team can do a radon test that will monitor your home or business for up to 48 hours to determine the level of RADON you are being exposed to daily. Doesn’t that seem like a sensible thing to do? More than 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year are attributed to breathing radon.   It is impossible to completely eradicate RADON. The dangerous gas is a product of thorium and uranium breakdown with the soil. It is a slow and natural process and it emits gas into the air so the exposure is everywhere.

Radon Tests in Iowa

Ameriserv Radon Mitigation Iowa is a leader in Iowa for testing for radon. The EPA has standards that gauge the level of radon that is threatening to your health.  Levels are measured in picocuries.  These are scientific measurements that express the units of radioactivity that is being emitted. The “harmful” level would be if your test came back at 4 pCi or above. If the radon test shows levels above 4 a radon mitigation Iowa plan would be put into place to rid your structure of this harmful gas. Consider radon testing and radon mitigation today and give Ameriserv Radon Mitigation Iowa a call.