How to test for radon
The only way to know your radon level is to test. A long-term test is the one Health Canada counts, and you can do it yourself for about $50.
Long-term and short-term tests
A long-term test runs for 91 days or more, best between October and April when the house is closed up. That is the test Health Canada and C-NRPP ask for, because radon levels swing from day to day and season to season, and only a long test gives a true average. C-NRPP
A short-term test runs for two to seven days. It is a screen, useful when a house sale cannot wait. It is not the number to make a decision on.
Kit types
An alpha-track kit is a small plastic detector. You leave it in place for the test period, then mail it to a lab, and the lab sends back your result. A digital detector shows a reading on a screen and keeps a running average. Both work. The alpha-track kit costs less and is the one most homeowners use.
Where to get one
In Thunder Bay
- EcoSuperior sells long-term kits for $50 including the lab fee. EcoSuperior
- Digital detectors on loan at Thunder Bay Public Library and six district libraries. EcoSuperior
- Many hardware stores sell kits. TBDHU
Elsewhere in Canada, hardware stores and lung associations sell kits, and many libraries lend digital detectors. Call us and we will point you to the nearest one.
Where to place it
Put the detector on the lowest floor where someone spends at least four hours a day. A finished basement counts. A crawlspace or a cold cellar does not. Keep it away from windows, doors, vents and the furnace, at about chest height, and leave it there for the whole test. TBDHU
Reading the result
- Under 200 Bq/m3: no action needed now. Test again in a few years, or after a renovation that touches the foundation or the heating system.
- 200 to 600 Bq/m3: Health Canada says fix it within two years.
- Above 600 Bq/m3: fix it within one year.
Is radon testing free?
Usually not. A kit costs about $50 with the lab fee. In Thunder Bay, the health unit gave out free kits in 2014 and 2017 as part of studies, but those programs have ended. Library detectors are free to borrow. EcoSuperior
Professional measurement
If you are selling a house, dealing with a tenant, or want a report you can hand to someone, a C-NRPP certified measurement professional can run the test and sign the result. Ask for the certification number and check it. C-NRPP certification check
Ready to test or fix?
Call 807-696-2005 Use the form
Hours: 8 am to 7 pm Eastern, seven days. Outside hours, leave a message or use the form; we call back the next working morning.