![\"Interactive](\"http:\/\/forwardmutual.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Radon-300x136.jpg\")
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Radon is an odorless, colorless gas that likely exists in many homes in the United States. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, this naturally occurring gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer. During National Radon Action Month, Forward’s\u00a0reinsurance company Grinnell Mutual recommends testing your home for radon.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe most important reason to test your home for radon is to identify potential air quality issues,\u201d said Grinnell Mutual\u2019s Director of Corporate Loss Control Larry Gallagher. \u201cIt\u2019s important to evaluate potential radon levels so you can give yourself peace of mind that you do not have high or escalated radon levels within your home, which may increase the risk of lung cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Midwest has some of the highest average radon levels in the U.S. You can use one of two types of tests\u2014passive or active\u2014to measure the levels of radon in your home. (Learn more about how radon enters homes.) Tests are available at your local hardware store, health department, or online at www.sosradon.org.<\/p>\n
Passive tests often use a charcoal canister or liquid. Generally, they take a week or less to measure radon levels before sending to a laboratory for evaluation. The EPA recommends placing the test in the lowest enclosed level of your home. It should be in an area used by homeowners, but not necessarily a high-traffic area.<\/p>\n
An active test will take hourly readings to arrive at an average result over the testing period, usually 90 days. Read the test instructions carefully. Depending on the season in which you conduct your test, the average result may give you a false sense of security about the radon risk in your home.<\/p>\n
The EPA recommends hiring a qualified radon mitigation contractor to fix your home\u2019s radon issue. Depending on your home\u2019s radon levels, foundation, and your budget, you and your contractor will select an radon reduction solution that is right for you and your family. (Visit the EPA website for an overview of radon reduction techniques.)<\/p>\n
\u201cA homeowner should not attempt to implement or build their own radon mitigation system,\u201d said Gallagher. \u201cInstead, hire a qualified contractor to evaluate the situation and recommend mitigation options.\u201d<\/p>\n
The EPA has a checklist you can use to evaluate and select a contractor to help you reduce the radon in your home.<\/p>\n
National Radon Program Services<\/a><\/p>\n Radon Information for Wisconsin<\/a><\/p>\n Interactive Map of Wisconsin Indoor Radon Levels<\/a><\/p>\n For more information about protecting your home and property, visit our website at Forward Mutual<\/a> or call 920-261-6616.<\/p>\n Test your home for radon and protect your family\u2019s health Radon is an odorless, colorless gas that likely exists in many homes in the United States. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, this naturally occurring gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer. During National Radon Action Month, Forward’s\u00a0reinsurance company Grinnell Mutual recommends testing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[14,4,5,6],"tags":[20],"class_list":{"0":"post-152","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-farmowners","7":"category-homeowners","8":"category-landlords","9":"category-renters","10":"tag-radon","11":"entry"},"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"forwardmutual","author_link":"https:\/\/www.forwardmutual.com\/news\/author\/forwardmutual\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.forwardmutual.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.forwardmutual.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.forwardmutual.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.forwardmutual.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.forwardmutual.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=152"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.forwardmutual.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.forwardmutual.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=152"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.forwardmutual.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=152"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.forwardmutual.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=152"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nInformation from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency<\/a> and Grinnell Mutual<\/a> was used in this article.<\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"