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Have you recently built a new home?
Have you moved into a different home?
Test for radon within the first heating season after moving into a new home, regardless of age and test again within the next five years after that.
All new homes must be built to locally adopted building codes, but these codes are different depending on where in Canada the house is being built.
The National Building Code (NBC) includes radon control measures which are designed to assist in making an eventual radon mitigation system work quieter and more efficient. The radon control measures in the NBC include granular layer, well sealed poly-membrane layer, all openings sealed including any sump pit, and a properly located rough-in pipe.
The BC Building code includes the same measures as the National Building Code, but requires the pipe to be fully extended outside the building. The radon control measures in the BC Building code are currently only required in certain regions.
The radon requirements in the Ontario Building Code are also applied only in certain municipalities. It is up to the municipality to conduct a survey to determine if they have a radon problem and need to add radon control measures to their building code. You can find information for municipalities on the Take Action on Radon website.
The Canadian General Standard Board (CGSB) also has a radon standard for new construction. This standard includes information on best practices in new construction and has more measures than the building codes include.
Every new home should be tested with a long-term radon test during the first heating season after it is occupied.
C-NRPP has a certification that is specific for new home construction. If you want to ensure your new home is built with correctly installed radon control measures, hire a C-NRPP professional with a CRNCH certification
C-NRPP has a certification that is specific for new home construction, Controlling Radon in New Canadian Homes (CRNCH)
If you have recently purchased a home, make conducting a long-term radon test a priority in the first heating season.
After moving into your new home, use a long-term radon test to confirm whether or not a mitigation system is required.
Purchasing a home?
If a person is purchasing a home which does not have a radon mitigation system installed, you may want to know if they should install a radon mitigation system once they move into the house.
A short-term radon screening could be conducted to provide some insight as to whether a radon mitigation may need to be installed. CARST has developed guidelines to be followed in the document “Guidelines for Conducting a Radon Screening Assessment as Part of a Real Estate Transaction of a Residential Dwelling in Canada”. Contact a C-NRPP professional for help.
Not sure how to test?