Why Capital Region Homes Need Radon Testing
The Capital Region and Hudson Valley sit on uranium-rich bedrock and soil — Saratoga, Rensselaer, and Warren counties in particular have among the highest radon-risk geology in New York. The EPA recommends every home be tested, and the NY State Department of Health backs that up.
Radon is invisible, odorless, and the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. The only way to know what your home’s level is — is to test.
How Air Test Pros Tests for Radon
Short-Term Test (48 to 96 Hours)
For most homeowners — and for nearly every real-estate transaction — a short-term continuous radon monitor is the right tool. We deploy a calibrated electronic monitor in the lowest livable level of your home, leave it in place for at least 48 hours under closed-house conditions, and retrieve it. Results come back the same day we pick it up.
Long-Term Test (90+ Days)
If you’ve had a short-term test that came back borderline (between 2.0 and 4.0 pCi/L), a long-term passive monitor gives a more accurate picture of average exposure across multiple seasons. We use lab-analyzed alpha-track or charcoal canister monitors that sit unobtrusively for 90 days to a year.
Real-Estate Transactions
Most buyers and lenders want a short-term radon test with proper closed-house conditions and chain-of-custody documentation. We handle the whole process: scheduling around your inspection, placing the monitor, returning to pick it up, and delivering the EPA-protocol report to your attorney or agent.
The EPA action level is 4.0 pCi/L. If your test comes back above that, the EPA recommends mitigation. Levels between 2.0 and 4.0 pCi/L are below action level but still elevated — and the EPA notes there is no “safe” level of radon.
What Happens If Your Levels Are Elevated
Don’t panic. Radon mitigation is straightforward — typically a sub-slab depressurization system installed by a licensed mitigation contractor. The system is permanent, runs continuously on minimal electricity, and is highly effective at reducing levels well below the EPA action level.
Air Test Pros doesn’t install mitigation systems — keeping our testing independent — but we’ll point you to mitigation contractors we’ve seen do clean, code-compliant work. After the system is installed, we come back for a post-mitigation re-test to confirm it’s actually working.
How Radon Enters a Home
Radon is a gas produced naturally by the decay of uranium in bedrock and soil. It seeps into your home through:
- Cracks in the foundation slab
- Sump pits and floor drains
- Wall joints between the slab and foundation walls
- Gaps around service pipes
- Crawl spaces with bare earth floors
- Well water (less common in our area but possible)
Areas We Cover for Radon Testing
From Schroon Lake in Warren County down through Poughkeepsie in Dutchess County, Air Test Pros provides EPA-protocol radon testing for any home, multi-unit, or commercial property in our 13-county service area.