Is radon a problem in your Cincinnati home? Find out here.
Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas produced naturally by uranium decay in the soil beneath your home. Because it has no smell, taste, or visible sign, only a test can tell you whether your indoor concentration is at a level that warrants action.
Test result above 4.0 pCi/L
EmergencyLikely cause: Soil gas entering through foundation cracks, sump pits, or plumbing penetrations at a rate that exceeds safe exposure limits per EPA guidance
Schedule mitigation immediately. The EPA action level is 4.0 pCi/L and every week at elevated levels adds to cumulative lung-cancer risk. Call for a same-week on-site assessment and fixed-price quote.
Test result between 2.0 and 4.0 pCi/L
UrgentLikely cause: Moderate soil-gas infiltration. Readings in this range are in the EPA "consider mitigation" zone, especially during heating season when stack effect peaks and readings run 30-60% higher than summer.
Run a 90-day long-term alpha-track test to confirm the annual average. If it lands above 2.0 again, mitigation is recommended, particularly if children or anyone with respiratory conditions lives in the home.
Home has not been tested in 5 or more years
UrgentLikely cause: Foundation settling, new slab cracks, sump-pit changes, or HVAC modifications over that period can open fresh soil-gas entry paths even in previously low-reading homes.
Order a new 48-hour test. Hardware-store charcoal kits run $15-$30. A professional continuous radon monitor (required for real-estate use) runs $150-$300.
New baby or pregnancy in the home
UrgentLikely cause: Infants and developing fetuses are in the highest-sensitivity window for radiation-related cellular damage. The same indoor radon level carries greater biological risk per unit of exposure for a newborn than for an adult.
Test now if you have not tested within the past 12 months. If the result is at or above 2.0 pCi/L, mitigate before the baby begins sleeping on a lower floor.
Recent renovation or addition to the home
UrgentLikely cause: Foundation penetrations cut for new plumbing, HVAC, or framing changes during renovation work are rarely sealed to soil-gas-tight tolerance, creating new radon entry paths.
Retest 30-90 days after work completes, once the home reaches a new air-pressure equilibrium. Testing the same week as the renovation produces an unstable reading.
Recently purchased the home
Schedule serviceLikely cause: The prior owner may not have tested, or the test may be more than 2 years old. Foundation condition, HVAC, and sealing have likely changed since any previous test.
Test within 90 days of move-in. If the home is in Hamilton, Butler, Warren, or Clermont County (all EPA Radon Zone 1), elevated levels are likely enough that testing is a high-value first step.
Passive radon vent stack installed but no fan connected
Schedule serviceLikely cause: Builders in post-2010 Ohio Zone 1 homes often installed passive PVC stacks per RRNC code requirements. Without a fan, the stack relies on stack effect alone and rarely lowers radon below the EPA action level in Greater Cincinnati.
Test first. If results are above 4.0 pCi/L, fan activation of the existing stack is the cheapest path to mitigation, typically $700-$1,200 versus $1,200-$2,400 for a new full install.
A neighbor or nearby home tested high
Schedule serviceLikely cause: Adjacent homes on the same Cincinnati Arch geology often share similar soil-gas concentrations, but radon varies substantially house-to-house based on foundation type, slab condition, and sealing quality.
Test your home directly. A high neighbor reading is a meaningful prompt but not a proxy for your own reading. A $15-$30 hardware-store kit resolves the question.
Basement converted to occupied living space
UrgentLikely cause: Occupied basements mean longer daily exposure hours in the space closest to soil-gas entry. The same radon concentration at basement level carries significantly higher effective household exposure when people sleep or work there.
Test with a continuous radon monitor placed in the occupied basement space. If results are at or above 2.0 pCi/L, the exposure calculus shifts materially toward mitigation given the increased time spent in that zone.
Sump pump installed or replaced
UrgentLikely cause: Sump pits are one of the primary radon entry paths in Greater Cincinnati basements. An unsealed sump pit lid or new sump installation creates a direct opening between soil gas and the conditioned space.
Retest within 60 days of any sump-pit work. If the existing mitigation system was already integrated with the sump, confirm the sealed lid and gasket are intact after the plumber finished.
Before you call
What to check yourself
- 1
Locate the passive radon vent stack
Locate any passive radon vent stack in your basement or utility room. It looks like a 3-inch or 4-inch white PVC pipe rising through the floor or wall, sometimes capped at the top with a cleanout plug. If you find one with no fan attached, note it.
- 2
Check for a radon alarm or monitor
Check whether a continuous radon alarm or plug-in radon monitor is installed anywhere in the home, particularly on the lowest occupied floor. These devices run $30-$150 and provide ongoing level tracking between formal tests.
- 3
Look up your last test date
Look up the date of your last radon test. If you have a post-mitigation verification report, check both the test date and the result. EPA recommends re-testing every 2 years; a result older than that warrants a fresh test regardless of prior readings.
- 4
Check for recent basement envelope changes
Check whether any major work has changed the basement envelope since your last test: new sump pit, basement remodel, rim-joist insulation retrofit, spray foam install, or foundation repair. Any of these can shift radon equilibrium and makes a fresh test warranted.
When to call us
The EPA action level is 4.0 pCi/L: homes testing at or above this level should mitigate. Our team also recommends mitigation for homes testing between 2.0 and 4.0 pCi/L, particularly when children or smokers are present, because the lung-cancer risk reduction from mitigation continues down to roughly 1.0 pCi/L and the cost is the same either way. Below 2.0 pCi/L, continued monitoring every 2-3 years is appropriate. Because radon is colorless and odorless, testing is the only way to know your level; no symptom, smell, or visual cue substitutes for a measurement. If your test result is above the action level, or if any of the urgent triggers above apply to your home, call for a free 10-minute phone consultation. Most Cincinnati installs are completed within the same week as the on-site assessment.
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NRPP-credentialed Cincinnati radon mitigation team serving Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky since 2019. Mon-Sat 8am-7pm.