The Denver Homebuyer’s Guide to Radon Testing: What to Expect and Why It Matters in Colorado
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Congratulations! You’ve found a house you love in the Denver Metro Area, your offer has been accepted, and you are now navigating the home inspection phase. It’s an exciting milestone, but between the paperwork and the packing, it can also feel a bit overwhelming.
Among the list of services your home inspector will offer, you'll likely see radon testing.
In Colorado, this isn't just an "add-on" option to gloss over; it is one of the most critical tests you can get. At Maple Home Inspections, LLC, we want you to feel confident and informed on closing day. Here is a quick, painless guide to the radon testing process, written specifically for Arvada and Denver-area homebuyers.
The Colorado Connection: Why Radon Matters Here
Before diving into the test itself, let's look at why our local geography matters.
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that comes from the decay of uranium in soil and rock. It is completely invisible, odorless, and tasteless. While it is a nationwide issue, Colorado is a major hotspot.
Because of our beautiful Rocky Mountain geology, our soil is rich in uranium. According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE):
Nearly half of all homes in Colorado have radon levels above the EPA’s recommended action limit.
Arvada and the greater Denver Metro Area are located in EPA Zone 1, which means we have the highest geologic potential for elevated indoor radon levels.
When radon escapes into the open mountain air, it dilutes and is harmless. But when a home is built on top of that soil, the house acts like a vacuum, sucking the gas up through foundation cracks, sump pumps, and crawl spaces. Because we tightly seal our homes to keep out the winter chill, that gas gets trapped inside.
The Radon Testing in Denver Process: Step-by-Step
When you schedule a radon test with Maple Home Inspections, LLC, the process is straightforward and designed to fit seamlessly into your standard real estate objection window.
1. Setting "Closed-House" Conditions
For the test to be accurate, the home needs to maintain closed-house conditions. This means:
All windows and exterior doors must remain closed for at least 12 hours before the test begins and for the entire duration of the test.
Normal entry and exit through doors is perfectly fine, but they shouldn't be left propped open.
Heating and air conditioning systems can run normally, but whole-house fans and swamp coolers must remain off.
2. Placing the Monitor
Your inspector will place a testing device in the lowest livable level of the home (usually the basement, or the first floor if the home is on a slab). Because so many Denver-area homes feature beautiful finished basements used for bedrooms or family rooms, testing this area is crucial.
3. The 48-Hour Measuring Window
While DIY test kits can take weeks and require mailing to a lab, we use professional Continuous Radon Monitors (CRMs).
How they work: CRMs are highly sophisticated, active devices that measure and log radon levels every single hour.
Tamper detection: These monitors have additional sensors to help determine if the monitor was tampered with.
The wait: The test runs for a minimum of 48 hours.
4. Reading the Results
Once the 48 hours are up, we retrieve the monitor and analyze the data. Radon is measured in picocuries per liter (pCi/L).
The number to watch out for is 4.0 pCi/L:
Below 4.0 pCi/L: The EPA considers this acceptable, though any level of radon carries some risk.
4.0 pCi/L or higher: The EPA strongly recommends taking action to reduce the radon levels in the home.
What If the Radon Levels Are High?
Don’t panic! Finding high radon levels during a Denver home inspection is incredibly common, and it is not a reason to walk away from your dream home.
Radon is a highly fixable problem. A licensed mitigation professional can install an active radon mitigation system (usually a vent pipe and a specialized inline fan) that pulls the gas from beneath the foundation and vents it safely above the roofline.
During a home purchase, a high radon reading is a standard negotiating item. In Colorado's real estate market, buyers frequently request that the seller pay for the installation of a mitigation system prior to closing, or credit the cost of the system at closing.
Why Choose Maple Home Inspections, LLC?
While you can buy cheap radon tests at a local hardware store, they are not ideal for real estate transactions. Real estate deadlines move incredibly fast in the Denver Metro Area, and DIY tests require mailing charcoal canisters to out-of-state labs, which can take weeks to process.
A professional test using our continuous monitors provides quick, reliable results, keeping your transaction right on schedule. Plus, having an unbiased, certified third-party perform the test ensures that both you and the seller can trust the data completely.
Are you ready to schedule your home inspection in Arvada or the Denver Metro Area? Don't leave your family's lung health to chance.
Contact Maple Home Inspections, LLC today to add a professional radon test to your upcoming home inspection!
Comments