Why it matters in New Jersey
The EPA links radon to roughly 21,000 lung-cancer deaths a year in the United States. New Jersey has some of the highest radon potential in the region: the EPA puts Hunterdon, Mercer, Monmouth, Morris, Somerset, Sussex and Warren counties in its highest zone, and most of the rest of the state in the moderate zone.
A county map is not a reading at your house. Two homes on the same street can test very differently. Every home should be tested, whatever the county.
How the test works
- We place a continuous radon monitor on the lowest livable level of the house, usually the basement.
- The test runs for at least 48 hours under closed-house conditions: windows closed, doors used only for coming and going. For a real-estate transaction we ask that these conditions start 12 hours before the monitor goes in.
- The monitor records hourly readings, so we can see whether conditions were kept and how the level changed through the day.
- You get a written result with the average reading and what it means.
What the numbers mean
The EPA recommends fixing a home when the average is 4.0 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or higher, and considering it between 2.0 and 4.0. Radon mitigation is a well-understood job: a sealed sub-slab pipe and fan that vents the gas above the roof. Most systems bring a house well under the action level. We test; we do not sell mitigation, so our result has no sales pitch behind it.
When to test
Before you buy, so the result can be part of your negotiation. After a mitigation system is installed, to confirm it works. Every few years after that, and after any major renovation or change to the heating system. Levels are typically highest in winter, when the house is sealed.
What it costs
Radon testing starts at $150 on its own, or $125 when added to a home inspection. See pricing.