What Is a Professional Radon Test?
Radon is a gas you can’t see, smell or taste. Every county in Iowa sits in EPA Radon Zone 1, the highest-risk zone, so the only way to know your home’s level is to test it. A professional radon test measures how much radon is in the air of your lowest lived-in level and reports it in picocuries per liter (pCi/L).
We test with calibrated continuous radon monitors (CRMs). A CRM samples the air and logs a reading every hour for at least 48 hours. When we pick it up, you get the average pCi/L plus an hourly graph. That graph shows how radon moved through the day and night, and it makes it easy to see if a window was opened or the monitor was moved.
The test follows 48-hour closed-house conditions. Windows and outside doors stay closed except for normal coming and going, starting 12 hours before the test. That keeps the result close to how your home really behaves when it’s closed up, like most of an Iowa winter.
Our technicians hold an Iowa HHS radon measurement credential and carry national training from NRPP, NRSB, CERTI or ICA School. For real estate, we use tamper detection so buyers, sellers and agents can trust the number.
Who Needs a Radon Test?
Anyone living in Central Iowa should test at least once. Three groups tend to need it most.
Home buyers and sellers
A radon test is a standard part of many Iowa home inspections. Buyers want a defensible result before the inspection deadline. Sellers often test before listing so a high number doesn’t derail a sale late in the process. We schedule around your closing timeline and send a clear report everyone can read.
Homeowners who have never tested
Many Des Moines families have lived in their homes for years without a test. If that’s you, a professional test is a quick way to get a solid answer. If you’ve already used a DIY kit, we can review the result and tell you if a follow-up test makes sense.
Homes with a radon system
If you already have a mitigation system, the EPA suggests retesting every two years and after big changes like a basement finish. We also run the post-mitigation clearance test on every system we install.
Short-Term vs. Long-Term Tests
A short-term test runs 2 to 7 days. It’s the fastest way to find a problem and the standard for home sales. A long-term test runs 90 days or more and shows a better yearly average, since radon rises and falls with the seasons.
Other devices exist too. An activated charcoal canister absorbs radon and goes to a lab. An electret ion chamber (EIC) measures a voltage drop over time. Both can give valid results. We prefer continuous monitors because they show hourly data, return results right after pickup, and flag tampering.
What Your Result Means
The EPA’s 4.0 pCi/L action level is the point where it recommends fixing your home. Between 2.0 and 4.0 pCi/L, the EPA says to consider mitigation. The World Health Organization uses a lower reference level of 2.7 pCi/L.
If your result is high, don’t panic. Radon risk builds over years, not days. We’ll walk you through your report and what a radon mitigation system would look like for your home. Our systems routinely bring homes above 4.0 pCi/L down below 1.0 pCi/L, with up to 98.9% reduction.
Common Problems We Solve
“Our inspection deadline is next week.”
We book real estate tests fast and work around your inspection period. Tell us your dates when you call.
“My DIY kit said 5.8. Is that real?”
Charcoal kits can be accurate, but placement, mailing delays and open windows can skew them. A professional continuous-monitor test confirms the number with hourly data.
“We finished the basement. Do we need to retest?”
Yes. New walls, a new HVAC layout or a new bedroom downstairs can change how air moves. Retest after big changes, even with a working system.
“Our test was high in winter but low in summer.”
Radon is often higher in heating season because of the stack effect. A long-term test or a winter short-term test gives you a clearer picture.
