Radon Measurement

Short Term measurement

Duration: Typically 2 to 7 days

• Initial Screening Tool: It serves as a rapid preliminary check to see if radon is present in significant amounts.

• Real Estate Transactions: It is frequently used during home purchases when time constraints prevent a longer test.

• Mitigation Check: It offers a fast way to confirm if a newly installed radon mitigation system is successfully lowering air levels.

• Highly Unreliable for Final Decisions: Radon levels fluctuate wildly hour-by-hour due to weather, ventilation, and heating. Short-term tests often yield false positives or false negatives, meaning they should never be used alone to determine if a home needs expensive permanent remediation.

Risk of Radon??

• Ontario residents need to perform radon measurement because radon is a radioactive gas that causes approximately 847 lung cancer deaths per year in Ontario.

• Number one cause of lung cancer for non-smokers in Canada. It enters homes through foundation cracks and can accumulate to dangerous levels.

• Health Canada recommends taking corrective action if indoor radon levels exceed 200 Bq/m³. Understanding the specific purposes of short-term and long-term testing is critical for properly managing this risk.

Long Term Measurement

Duration: 3 to 12 months (minimum 91 days), ideally conducted from October to April.

• Provides Annual Average Exposure: Because health risks accumulate over decades, knowing your long-term average exposure is what truly matters.

• Accounts for Seasonal Fluctuations: Indoor radon peaks during Ontario winters when doors and windows are sealed shut. Long-term tests smooth out these variations to give an accurate, dependable result.

• Standard for Action: This is the only testing method officially recommended by Health Canada and provincial authorities to determine if your home exceeds the 200 Bq/m³ threshold.

• Warranty Requirements: Under the Tarion New Home Warranty in Ontario, elevated radon is covered as a major structural defect for the first seven years. Tarion and the Ontario Building Code require results from an approved long-term test to honor mitigation coverage claims