How Radon Enters a Home
Radon gas moves up through the soil and enters your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Your home traps radon inside, where it can build up. Any home may have a radon problem—this means new and old homes, well-sealed and drafty homes, and homes with or without basements.
Radon typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through:
- Cracks in solid floors
- Construction joints
- Cracks in walls
- Gaps in suspended floors
- Gaps around service pipes
- Cavities inside walls
- The water supply
It is not possible to predict radon levels based on state, local, or neighborhood radon measurements. Testing is the only way to know if you and your family are at risk from radon. The EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing all homes below the third floor for radon.
The following video from the State of Tennessee gives an overview of How Radon Enters the Home: