Most industry experts, real estate investors, and experienced home owners will recommend against painting in the midst of a radon test. The main reason why this activity is not recommended is because the act of painting can cause changes that will affect the quality and reliability of your radon test.
Radon is a colorless and odorless gas that has very harmful effects on the human body. It can be present in your home without you even being aware of it. This is why it is so crucial to test for radon in order to make sure it is not present in harmful amounts. It’s also important to do absolutely nothing else while conducting the test.
For example, painting your home while testing for radon can lead to a direct change in the quality of the air in your immediate environment. The rate of air exchange may be so high that it disturbs the progress of the radon test, causing it to be unreliable. Painting may also cause changes in your indoor temperature and rate of moisture.
If radon is indeed present in your home, these changes may cause you to lose sight of just how much of this gas is present. Your test may be so false that it blinds you to the real danger that is present. This can lead to serious health issues that may also cause your home to be condemned as unfit to be inhabited by you or anyone else.
Will Drying Paint Cause A Radon Test To Be Inaccurate?
It’s never a good idea to paint your home, whether the exterior or interior areas, during a radon test. You should definitely not do this activity just before or even after the test is in progress. Drying paint is a factor that could cause the test to go bad. Any sort of extra moisture in the immediate vicinity is a serious problem.
You will need to keep your home perfectly closed and atmospherically static when conducting a test for radon. This is because even the smallest change in the level of humidity or the atmosphere itself can cause a radon test to go bad. It’s such a sensitive testing process that even the smallest details can render it unreliable.
Drying paint is a definite “don’t” while you are conducting an indoor test for radon. You don’t want a slowly drying substance changing the level of humidity in your home. Drying your house paint involves a process that interferes with the ability of the testing equipment to successfully detect the presence of radon gas at the same time.
Painting your home, adding drywall, stripping paint, or testing your boiler are all things that should definitely be done at separate times. Your best bet to conduct a successful test for radon gas will be to shut off everything. You want your home to be as atmospherically static as possible so that the testing equipment can do its job.
What Kinds Of Paint And Conditions Should You Avoid When Running A Radon Test
You should definitely avoid painting your home during a radon test. You should also specifically avoid using any kind of paint that contains nano-material. This is all the more true if your home contains wooden walls and is located in an area where high amounts of radon have been detected.
One of the major reasons why nano-paint seems so hazardous is because of its highly decreased level of porousness. This seems to be a major factor in increasing the presence of radon in homes. As a result, this may be the worst type of house paint to use under any conditions. It may become even more dangerous if radon is present.
It’s therefore an excellent idea to stay away from using nano-paint in areas that may be high in radon. You should test your home frequently for the presence of this gas. As you do so, it’s a good idea to make sure that your home is fully enclosed. Do your best to ensure that no sources of air movement or moisture are present as you test.
What Should You Not Do During A Radon Test?
The most important thing that you should never do during a radon test is alter the atmosphere through any sort of extra moisture. This means running the water in your sinks or tubs, exposing the atmosphere to drying paint, or boiling water for any reason. You want to keep the moisture level as low and as static as you can.
You also want to keep all of the windows closed. Don’t let air into the house because changing the movement of the air as you check for radon will cause the test to go bad. You want all of the windows closed and as little air as possible coming in from the outside. The more static the air is, the more easily your test will be reliable.
What Happens If You Open A Window During A Radon Test?
Radon testing is a very precarious process. You need conditions to be as absolutely still as possible for the test to be a success. Radon is odorless and colorless and very hard to detect with anything but very sensitive equipment. As noted above, it’s never a good idea to open a window or let any kind of air from outside into the home.
Opening a window during a radon test will cause extra air to enter the equation. The movement of the air in the home will naturally change. There will also be a change in the level of moisture, especially if the humidity in the air outside of your home is higher than it is inside. These are all bad things to confront a radon test with.
When you are testing for radon, keep the windows closed. Don’t run water and don’t try to paint your home. Let the test do its work in peace.