Denver offers free radon test kits for “Healthy Homes” month
Published on June 08, 2021
June is Healthy Homes Month, and the City of Denver is ensuring that Denver homes are protected from radon. Radon is a radioactive gas that has been identified as a cancer-causing agent and comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water.
The 2019 Denver Building and Fire Code ensures that residents are as protected as possible against the harmful effects of radon exposure. Appendix F of the 2018 International Residential Code: Passive Radon Gas Controls, enforces requirements home builders must meet in order to lessen radon exposure in Denver homes. Additionally, Denver Public Health & Environment (DDPHE) offers free radon testing supplies for residents to test their own radon levels.
“Denver is classified as a high radon-potential area, and while the provisions contained in Appendix F are not mandatory at the national level, the City of Denver adopted them into the 2019 Building and Fire Code because radon safety is a priority,” said Denver’s interim Building Official Eric Browning.
Under Appendix F, builders of new homes will need to use passive radon-mitigation techniques designed to resist the transfer of radon gases from soil into homes. All new homes must also be constructed in a way that would allow a homeowner to install a radon control system more easily in the future, if desired.
“This new code requirement is a critical step toward helping Denver residents keep themselves and their families safe from dangerous radon levels in their homes,” said Bob McDonald, Executive Director for DDPHE. “For residents living in already constructed homes, however, DDPHE recommends testing for radon every two to three years to ensure that they are not being exposed to dangerously high levels of this otherwise undetectable gas.”
As part of June’s designation as Healthy Homes Month, DDPHE has a limited supply of free do-it-yourself (DIY) radon test kits available to Denver residents on a first-come, first-served basis. Residents interested in obtaining a free DIY radon test kit should email PHIRadon@denvergov.org to coordinate a delivery. Residents are requested to please have patience as DDPHE continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.