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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.

PHYSICIAN’S IN IOWA HAVE A GUIDE FOR RADON

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Radon in Iowa is Radon Mitigation in Iowa by AmeriServa health threat. The US Environmental Protection Agency
has provided a guide to the physician’s of Iowa as to the the risks and
consequences of exposure to radon. The radon levels in Iowa are some of the
highest in the country. The entire state of Iowa is in the red zone,
meaning that every county in Iowa has above average radon levels.

Radon is a radioactive gas that you cannot see, smell or taste. Radon is
released by uranium-bearing rocks and soil as the uranium undergoes natural
radioactive decay. The gas moves through the soil and reaches the outdoor
air and can accumulate under the slabs and foundations of homes and
businesses. The radon will enter the home or business through cracks and
openings, and becomes trapped inside. This can cause high indoor
concentrations. When this radon is inhaled, it can become a danger to the
lungs. Radon is the second cause of lung cancer, second only to cigarette
smoking. Here are some of the ways that radon will enter your home or business:

  • Cracks in concrete slabs
  • Floor-wall joints
  • Spaces behind brick veneer walls that rest on uncapped hollow-brick foundation
  • Mortar joints
  • Loose fitting pipe
  • Open tops of block walls
  • Pores and cracks in concrete blocks
  • Exposed soil, as in a sump
  • Weeping drain tile, if drained to open sump

Physician’s are well aware of how radon can affect the health of their
patients. That is why they encourage patients to test for radon levels in
their homes. Knowing the levels in your home and having radon mitigation if
the levels are over 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) is important. AmeriServ
Radon Mitigation of Iowa can come and test your home or business and offer
radon mitigation if we find the levels to be high.

SOLUTIONS FOR HIGH RADON LEVELS

The professionals at AmeriServe Radon Mitigation of Iowa has the testing equipment and mitigation solutions for you in Iowa. We have short term testing and long term testing. The short term testing is used when there is a need to know the results quickly as in a real estate deal. There are a few method of doing short term testing:

  1. Charcoal canisters
  2. Electret ion chamber
  3. continuous monitors
  4. Liquid scintillation

Long term testing will last for 90 days or longer. The benefit of long term testing is that it will give a more accurate, year round average of the radon levels in your home. This prevents false negative or positive results because of a peak or valleys in the radon levels.

After testing, if the levels in your home or business are above 4pCi/L, the experts at AmeriServ will perform radon mitigation. The process of radon mitigation removes radon from your home and expels it to the outdoor air. To do this, we drill a hole in the foundation or slab, creating a suction point. Then a PVC pipe is connected through the hole to use as a vent for the radon gas. A fan is then connected to this system to ensure air flow in the right direction. this is usually installed in the attic of your home.

Don’t let radon in your Iowa home become a health issue for you and your family. Let AmeriServ conduct radon testing and give you the solution you need to remove the radon from your home or business.

AmeriServ Radon Mitigation of Iowa has a team that has been professionally trained by the State of Iowa and is certified by the Iowa Department of Public Health. Don’t hesitate to contact us for your radon testing and radon mitigation needs. We have the solution for you! Contact us today!

 

New Construction Needs Radon Testing, Too!

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 New Construction Radon Testing Iowa

Building a new home is an exciting but stressful process.  AmeriServ offers new construction techniques that will help you protect your home and family from radon.  Radon is the result of naturally decaying radium and uranium.  Iowa is rich in these materials, so it is important that you, as an Iowa resident, make sure your home is radon proof. Radon is the second leading cause of caner, right behind cigarettes.  Don’t put your family at risk, call AmeriServ today, we guarantee to give you  peace of mind.  For new construction radon testing Iowa services, count on our Iowa Radon Mitigation team.

Iowa Radon Mitigation systems installed during the construction process are considerably cheaper than installed systems on an already built structure. As a homeowner, planning ahead and installing preventative systems is a responsible choice. Radon systems can help prevent radon from entering your home, thus, preventing you and your family from the possibility of lung cancer. If you have the right mentality from the beginning, you can effectively prevent any fear from radon related diseases.  Radon is a colorless and odorless gas. Meaning, without the proper safety precautions you may have absolutely no idea whether or not radon has infiltrated your home.

 Iowa Radon Testing and Mitigation Services

All work that AmeriServ performs is insured and guaranteed to last. We performed many business and home radon tests.  We are your leading radon mitigation Iowa service provider.  Radon can be a scary concept, and we understand that, if we find radon in your home we will do everything in our power to stop it.  Installing new construction radon systems is an easy and cost effective way of  preventing a radon scare.  Our profession employees and contractors will install our mitigation services and air purifier systems.  The radon in you home will be directed to the outside of your home.  When it comes to radon problems, call AmeriServ Radon Mitigation Iowa.  Find out what we can do for you!