NY Offers Free Radon Kits, Recommends Homeowners Test Frequently

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Winter is a good time to test for radon in the Hudson Valley. In fact, winter — when people spend more time indoors and seal up their homes to keep out the cold — increases the risk of exposure to radon.

Fortunately, the New York State Department of Health is offering residents a free radon test kit while supplies last and encouraging people to test their homes. When the supply of free kits runs out, the cost will be $12.25.

Colorless and odorless, radon occurs naturally in the environment from the radioactive decay of uranium or thorium in the soil, and is present in rocks, soil, and water — nearly everywhere to varying degrees.

"Also, it can penetrate almost anything," said Chris Hayes, co-owner of Lance Dorfi, LLC, a state-certified radon mitigation firm that does work in the Hudson Valley and Fairfield County in Connecticut. "It takes the path of least resistance."

"Radon’s a little like Wac-a-Mole," he told Patch. "Levels are constantly fluctuating."

For example, he said, if it rains a lot, or in deep winter when your yard freezes, the radon reading in the house could go up. The gas will flow through your foundation because concrete is more porous than water or ice.

Whether new or renovated to make it less expensive to heat, energy-efficient houses may have higher radon levels since there is less heat or air-conditioning leaking out.

There's also "the stack effect" in which heat rises and brings in new air — often from below.

"The other thing to consider," Hayes said, "It's rarer, but if you have a well it can be in the water. Levels can be higher upstairs than down — that’s a telltale sign that it’s in the water."

EPA says homes with 4 or more picocuries of radon per liter of air should put in a mitigation system. It's recommended for houses with 2-4 pCi/L.

"We have clients who are mitigating though they are below 4," Hayes said, adding that during the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the newcomers buying houses in the Hudson Valley were particularly health and environment-conscious.

And many found radon. The east edge of New York from Putnam north to Washington County, and the Southern Tier, are the regions with the highest concentrations of radon in the state.

Today homes can be constructed to be more radon resistant, but all homes, new and old, should be tested, state and federal health officials say. Each home is different: one may have higher radon levels, while just next door the levels are within safe limits.

Only a home test, typically set up in a basement area and left for a few days, can determine if radon has made its way inside, officials said.

Because routes of entry may include cracks in the foundation or concrete slab, exposed soil, loose-fitting pipes, or water, and are not always obvious, testing is recommended every five years for homes without radon reduction systems.

Homeowners in New York State can order one free radon test by completing this test kit order form, while supplies last. Be sure to follow all test instructions, state officials said.

If radon is detected, there are things that can be done to correct the issues and not all of them are costly, state officials said.

A radon reduction system can reduce radon levels in your home by up to 99 percent and average cost is about $;1,500, state officials said.

Old houses can be harder to mitigate, said Hayes, who lives in an 1851 schoolhouse in Pound Ridge that he renovated himself. He knows whereof he speaks — his home is built on a rock ledge.

New York State recommends testing your home:

• Every five years, or every two years if you have a radon mitigation system to make sure it’s working properly.
• During the winter months when your windows and doors can stay closed 24 hours before and during the entire testing period. However, you can leave and re-enter your home.
• When buying a home and after major renovations.
• Before buying a home, hire a certified radon testing professional. Check that the results of the test is will come from a laboratory approved through the State's Environmental Laboratory Approval Program.
• Check that the laboratory used to analyze the results is approved through the State's Environmental Laboratory Approval Program.
• Within 30 days of installing a radon mitigation system.

If radon has been identified as an issue in the home and a radon reduction system is in place, the NYS Department of Health recommends testing every two years to make sure it is working properly.

If your home has elevated levels of radon, contact a certified radon mitigator, state officials said.

More information is available at the U.S. EPA's Consumer's Guide to Radon Reduction.

SEE ALSO: Dangerous Radon Levels In 4400 Hudson Valley Homes