Radon infiltrates homes in the Twin Cities area through the soil. This invisible gas enters homes through cracks and gaps in the foundation, and accumulates within. Although radon can waft into every room of your home, the gas almost always exists at the highest levels in the lowest floor of your home.

Depending on the design of your Twin Cities home, radon may be most common in these areas:

• The Basement – The majority of homes in Minnesota have a basement, which is where radon tends to be the most common. Radon often enters basements through cracks in the slab-on-grade foundation and gaps around utility pipes. Because basements often have inadequate ventilation, radon is able to accumulate to unsafe levels.

• The Crawl Space – Homes in the Twin Cities that don’t have a basement will often have a crawl space. In these homes, radon levels will be highest in the crawl space. Beyond accumulating in the crawl space itself, radon can seep into the home above through the sub-floor.
• Utility Rooms – Any utility rooms in your home are likely to have a direct connection to the soil underneath, especially if they contain a sump pump pit. As a result, these rooms often contain large amounts of radon, which comes in through utility openings and drains.