Is Your Family Safe from Radon? Get Your Home Tested.
Radon is the #2 cause of lung cancer in Canada — after smoking. It's colourless, odourless, and undetectable without a test. 11.9% of Calgary Health Region homes exceed the safe threshold of 200 Bq/m³.
A Gas You Can't See, Smell, or Taste — But Can Measure
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas produced by the decay of uranium and radium in Calgary's soil and rock. It enters homes through foundation cracks, floor drains, sump pump openings, and utility penetrations — and accumulates in basements and lower levels where it can reach dangerous concentrations.
Radon exposure is cumulative. The longer you're exposed to elevated levels, the greater the risk. Because Alberta sits on geological formations with elevated uranium concentrations, Calgary homes have a higher radon risk than the national average.
- Enters through foundation cracks, floor drains, and sump pits
- Concentrates in basements and lower floors where families spend time
- Long-term exposure increases lung cancer risk significantly
- Testing is the only way to know your home's radon level
Why Radon Is Dangerous — And How It Reaches You
Outdoors, radon is diluted in the open air and poses little danger. Indoors, it becomes trapped and concentrated in enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces, resulting in a significantly increased health risk — especially lung cancer. Radon migrates to the surface through cracks in the bedrock and into the soil cover and water table, then enters your home through gaps in the foundation, floor drains, sump pumps, joints, and loosely fitted pipes.
When you breathe in radon gas, its particles settle in your lung tissue and begin to decay. As they decay, the radon particles release bursts of energy that damage lung tissue cells — over time, that cell damage can lead to the development of lung cancer.
The Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Surgeon General have said for over a decade that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. The finding has since been confirmed by the National Academy of Science in its report, Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR).
How to Test Your Home for Radon
Long-Term Test (Recommended)
90-day electret or alpha track test kit placed in your lowest occupied level. Lab-analyzed for an accurate result that reflects your home's radon levels across changing weather conditions. Preferred by Health Canada and the most reliable result for making mitigation decisions.
Short-Term Test
2–7 day charcoal canister test. Provides a faster result but is more sensitive to weather fluctuations, window/door patterns, and seasonal variables. Best used as a preliminary indicator — not for final mitigation decisions without a follow-up long-term test.
Tested Above 200 Bq/m³? Here's What Happens Next.
If your Calgary home tests above Health Canada's action level, our licensed team designs and installs the right depressurization system for your foundation type — then verifies it worked.
Radon Mitigation — What We Install
Active Sub-Slab Depressurization (ASD)
The most effective and most common mitigation method. A suction pipe is inserted through the foundation slab, and a fan draws radon from under the slab and exhausts it safely outside — before it can enter your living space. Typical reduction: 80–99%.
Sump-Hole Depressurization
When a sump pit is present, we seal the pit and use it as the depressurization point. Effective for homes where slab penetration is difficult or the sump is already in the right location.
Drainage System Depressurization
For homes with interior perimeter drainage systems, we use the drainage channel as the depressurization pathway — eliminating the need to drill through the slab.
Sub-Membrane Depressurization
For homes with crawlspaces, we install a polyethylene membrane over the exposed soil and apply suction beneath it — preventing radon from entering the crawlspace and then the home above.
The Benefits of Radon Mitigation
1. Improving Air Quality
Instead of radon circulating through the house, a radon mitigation system extracts it from inside to outside — eliminating radon-laden air and letting you breathe fresh air inside your own home.
2. Health Is Wealth
Hospitalization is expensive. The emotional and physical pain caused by exposure to this colourless, odourless gas is priceless — a mitigation system protects you and your family from getting sick from radon.
3. Long-Term Investment
Radon mitigation may cost money up front, but being hospitalized costs more — and affects your ability to work along with your physical and emotional well-being. As a homeowner, installing radon mitigation is an investment that protects your family's future, where the health benefit is priceless.
4. Reduces Moisture
A radon mitigation system helps reduce the moisture content in the air before it enters your home and can filter air coming from the soil beneath your foundation. Lower humidity means less growth for bacteria, dust, and allergens that contribute to lung and respiratory issues.
5. Safety for Your Family
Worried about the hazards of radon exposure in your own house? A radon mitigation system should always be installed by a licensed radon mitigation professional — for your safety, and to actually reduce the radon level in your home.
Post-Mitigation Testing Confirms It Worked
Every mitigation installation is followed by a post-mitigation test to confirm radon levels have dropped below the 200 Bq/m³ threshold. We don't call it done until the numbers confirm it.
Watch: Understanding Radon
Learn more about radon gas, how it affects your health, and why testing and mitigation matter — from the Canadian Lung Association and HouseCalls.
Radon Questions
How do I know if my Calgary home has radon?
You test. There is no other way. Radon is colourless, odourless, and tasteless — undetectable by any human sense. A 90-day long-term test kit placed in your lowest occupied level will give you an accurate reading. Given that 11.9% of Calgary Health Region homes exceed the 200 Bq/m³ action level, testing is strongly recommended for every Calgary homeowner.
What level of radon is dangerous?
Health Canada's action level is 200 Bq/m³. Above this threshold, mitigation is recommended. The WHO recommends an even lower reference level of 100 Bq/m³. There is no completely "safe" level of radon exposure — risk increases with concentration and duration — but below 200 Bq/m³, the risk is considered acceptable for most households.
Can a new home have radon?
Yes. Radon concentration depends on the soil and bedrock under the home, not the home's age. Newer, well-sealed homes can actually trap radon more effectively than older, draftier ones. Alberta Building Code requires radon rough-ins in new construction, but that rough-in is passive and doesn't actively mitigate — it just makes future mitigation easier.
How long does radon mitigation take?
Most residential Active Sub-Slab Depressurization installations are completed in one day. Post-mitigation testing typically runs 90 days — though the system is actively reducing radon from day one. We schedule the post-test kit at the same appointment.
Radon Testing & Mitigation Across Calgary & Area
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Our Recent Radon Mitigation Work in Calgary
Test. Know. Mitigate.
Calgary's radon specialists — 90-day lab-analyzed testing, active sub-slab depressurization, and post-mitigation verification.
Last updated: July 2026
