Chicagoland's Premier Home & School Radon Gas Detection Service

How Cold Weather Affects Radon Levels

Winters in Chicago can be brutal, and 2019 has already proven to reach record breaking cold. Cold weather can wreak havoc on homes, cars, etc. It will cause things to freeze up or become brittle and crack. Not only pipes, but also foundations and the ground outside. As we know when things get cold and then thawed repeatedly, they expand and contract. This can actually shift the ground enough to release new pockets of radon gases.

Additionally, as warm air escapes through our drafty windows, it can actually create a vacuum called the “stack effect” causing it to suck more radon up through cracks in the basement foundation or sump pumps (any area that is dug deeper underground). This can result in more radon entering the home. Additionally, as radon is a naturally occurring gas, that means it is all around us. It comes up through the soil, cracks in the street, etc. But during the winter months, the ground is frozen and the streets are often covered in a sheet of ice, thus blocking the natural escape of the gases, and redirecting it to where the ground is not covered by ice… under our homes. We also tend to keep our windows closed, crank up the furnace, and recirculate the warm air throughout the house, so this additional radon gas is essentially trapped inside, building up. The more energy efficient our homes are, the more radon gas gets trapped inside.

This is why the mid to late winters months are an ideal time to test for radon. This is the time where we can really see how it pools up in the home, when everything is closed up tightly.

It’s 2022 – Have you retested your Radon Levels?

Your home should be considered one of the safest places for your family. That may not be the case if your home contains high levels of radon. Even if you’ve tested in the past, it may be time to test again. You should retest every few years to ensure the levels are within the safe levels, especially if you are in a developing area. As ground is broken and earth is shifted, new radon pockets can be exposed. Even as old houses settle, radon can still become an issue.

In climates with variable temperatures like the midwest, houses continue to settle with each hot and cold transition between summer and winter. This shifting can cause visible changes like cracks in the sidewalk or chips and pockets in driveways and patios. This same shifting can potential effect and uproot some new pockets of Radon. So even if a house tested negative in the past, 3 years later the story can change. Testing is easy. We do all the work, and your family enjoys their safety and health.

Call us today for more information.

Daycare and School Testing now available!

Let’s face it. Our kids are our most important asset. We want them safe and healthy and now the government is acting on that. As of 2013, all Daycare providers are required to do radon testing every 3 years. We are fully licensed to test both Home and Commercial Daycares in all areas of Illinois. Contact us today and get tested to keep our children healthy and happy!