Radon Testing Northern Colorado

Radon in Northern Colorado: What Every Homeowner Should Know

Radon is something you can’t see, smell, or taste, but it can still be present inside your home. For homeowners and homebuyers throughout Northern Colorado, including Fort Collins, Windsor, Greeley, Loveland, and surrounding communities, understanding radon and knowing the level inside a home is an important part of making informed decisions about your property.

At Done Right Inspections, LLC, we believe homeowners should understand their home—not just receive a report or test result. Here’s what you should know about radon, where it comes from, how it enters a home, and when testing should be considered.

What Is Radon?

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas produced as uranium in soil and rock breaks down.

Because radon comes from the ground, it can move through the soil beneath a building and enter through openings in the foundation. Once inside, radon can accumulate, particularly in lower areas such as basements and crawlspaces.

You cannot determine whether a home has elevated radon by looking at it. Testing is the only way to know the radon level inside a home.

Why Is Radon a Concern?

Long-term exposure to elevated levels of radon increases the risk of lung cancer.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, behind smoking. It is also considered the leading cause of lung cancer among people who do not smoke.

This is why radon testing can be an important part of buying a home and maintaining a home you already own.

Radon Is a Concern in Northern Colorado

Colorado has significant potential for elevated indoor radon levels, making radon testing particularly important for homeowners throughout our area.

Homes in Fort Collins, Windsor, Greeley, Loveland, and other Northern Colorado communities can have very different radon levels—even when the homes are located close to one another.

A common misconception is that if a neighbor tested their home and received a low result, nearby homes should have similar levels. Unfortunately, radon doesn't work that way.

Differences in soil conditions, foundation construction, ventilation, crawlspaces, basements, sump systems, and other factors can affect how radon enters and accumulates inside an individual home.

Your neighbor's radon test cannot tell you the radon level in your home.

The age of the home isn't a reliable indicator either. New construction and older homes can both have elevated radon levels.

How Does Radon Get Into a Home?

Because the air pressure inside a home can be lower than the pressure in the surrounding soil, a house can draw soil gases through openings in the foundation.

Potential entry points include:

• Foundation cracks

• Concrete slab joints

• Sump pits

• Floor drains

• Crawlspaces

• Openings around plumbing and utility penetrations

• Gaps where floors and walls meet

• Other openings in contact with the soil

A home does not need to have visible foundation damage for radon to enter.

This applies to many different types of homes found throughout Northern Colorado, from older properties in established neighborhoods to newer developments in communities such as Windsor, Fort Collins, Loveland, and Greeley.

What Radon Level Is Considered High?

Radon is measured in picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L).

The EPA recommends taking action to reduce radon when the average indoor radon level is 4.0 pCi/L or higher. The EPA also recommends that homeowners consider mitigation when levels are between 2.0 and 4.0 pCi/L.

There is no completely risk-free level of radon exposure, so the goal is generally to keep indoor radon levels as low as reasonably achievable.

Should You Test for Radon When Buying a Home?

Yes. A real estate transaction is one of the most common times to perform a radon test.

If you're purchasing a home in Fort Collins, Windsor, Greeley, Loveland, or elsewhere in Northern Colorado, a professional radon test can provide valuable information about the home's indoor radon level before the transaction is completed.

Testing is especially valuable because you cannot reliably predict a home's radon level based on:

• The home's age

• Whether it has a basement

• The neighborhood

• A neighboring home's test

• Whether the home has visible foundation cracks

The only way to determine the radon concentration in a particular home is to test it.

What About New Construction?

A newly built home can still have elevated radon.

Northern Colorado continues to see significant residential development, particularly in and around Windsor, Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, Timnath, Severance, and surrounding communities.

Modern construction techniques can make homes more energy efficient and reduce uncontrolled air movement. While energy efficiency is beneficial, a tightly constructed home can still accumulate radon if soil gas enters through the foundation.

Some new homes include passive radon-resistant construction features, but having a passive system installed does not guarantee that the indoor radon concentration is below recommended levels.

New construction should still be tested.

Should You Test a Home More Than Once?

Radon levels can change over time.

Changes to the home, ventilation, heating and cooling systems, weather conditions, foundation conditions, or remodeling can affect indoor radon concentrations.

Homeowners should consider retesting periodically and after significant changes to the home.

Testing may also be a good idea if:

• You finish or begin regularly using a basement

• You make major renovations

• You modify the HVAC system

• You install or modify a radon mitigation system

• It has been several years since the home's last test

• You don't know whether the home has ever been tested

Even if your home in Northern Colorado tested low in the past, a previous result does not necessarily tell you what the radon concentration is today.

What Happens If the Radon Level Is High?

An elevated radon result doesn't automatically mean there is something structurally wrong with the home.

Radon levels can often be reduced using a properly designed radon mitigation system.

One common method is active soil depressurization. These systems typically use piping and a continuously operating fan to draw radon-containing soil gas from beneath the home and discharge it safely above the building.

The appropriate mitigation method depends on the home's construction and conditions.

After mitigation, the home should be tested again to verify that the system is effectively reducing the indoor radon concentration.

Professional Radon Testing in Fort Collins, Windsor, Greeley & Loveland

Whether you're purchasing a home, building a new home, selling a property, or simply want to know more about the home you already own, radon testing provides information you cannot get through a standard visual inspection.

Done Right Inspections, LLC provides professional radon testing throughout Fort Collins, Windsor, Greeley, Loveland, Timnath, Severance, and surrounding Northern Colorado communities.

Our goal isn't simply to perform an inspection or test. We want our clients to understand what the results mean so they can make informed decisions about their property.

Schedule a Radon Test in Northern Colorado

If you're buying a home or haven't tested your current home for radon, consider finding out what's in the air you're breathing.

For professional radon testing in Fort Collins, Windsor, Greeley, Loveland, and surrounding Northern Colorado communities, contact:

Done Right Inspections, LLC

📞 970-658-0664🌐 donerightinspections.com

Inspecting Homes. Educating Homeowners. Protecting Your Investment.

Because an informed homeowner makes better decisions.