- Radon is a naturally occurring gas that is radioactive and can cause lung cancer.
- Radon can leak into your home and is common in Wisconsin.
- While you can't see or smell it, you can protect yourself from it.
It's normal to check your property for radon when buying or selling a home, but it's not required by state law.
January is Radon Action Awareness Month, and people are encouraged to check their home at least once every two years.
Retired doctor, Guy Jensen, his wife Ilene and their golden retriever are living radon-free in their Fond du Lac home—thanks to a no-cost test performed by Lifetime Radon Solutions. The company is based in the Milwaukee area, and it's expanding to the Fox Cities and Green Bay region.
Lifetime Radon Solutions Territory Manager Rob Somogji says performing these free tests and then being able to mitigate homes with high levels of radon has been truly rewarding, because he knows it can save lives.
"We have a grandson who spends a lot of time with us here. We have pets. Why subject them to anything," Dr. Jensen asked himself.
"It's an amazing feeling. It's great to know that you're helping people get ease of mind and helping them with their livelihood and their life to making it a safer place to be and their family. It's a fantastic feeling," Somogji said.
Dr. Jensen says his only regret is not testing his home sooner.
"If you haven't had your house tested, and you live in an area where there's lots of rock and there's a potential for radon - don't even think about it, have it tested," Dr. Jensen said.
Radon is a naturally-occurring gas, it's radioactive, and it can lead to lung cancer.
Experts says it's also common if your home has a basement, if it was built in a rocky area, or even if your property is in a space where there's been recent construction.
Somogji says radon can build up even more when the weather gets colder, because people are more likely to have their doors and windows shut to keep in the warmer air.
"A healthy family starts with a healthy home. So, we want to make sure that your home and the environment that you're in is as healthy as you feel is appropriate," Somogji said.
Dr. Jensen said it only took the crew a couple of days from the time they found out their home had high levels of radon to the time it was treated.
"When we found out that "OK, this is not good." We just decided, "All right, let's just go ahead and decide to get it treated.""
