We Tested Our Osage Beach Home For Radon. Here's What We Found.

It started with a conversation at a neighborhood cookout.

A neighbor mentioned she'd just had her home tested for radon. "My real estate agent recommended it when we sold our house," she said. "I never thought much about it before."

That planted a seed. A few weeks later, I noticed our basement had that musty smell again. Nothing unusual—it's Missouri, after all, and basements are always a little damp. But then I started thinking about radon.

Here's what I learned when I finally tested my Lake of the Ozarks home.

First, what even is radon?

Radon is a gas. You can't see it, smell it, or taste it. It comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, and it seeps up through the ground into homes everywhere. Missouri happens to have some of the higher radon levels in the country.

The EPA says any home with radon levels above 4 pCi/L should be mitigated. That's the action level. Most people don't know their levels until they test.

Why should LOZ homeowners specifically care?

The soil around Osage Beach and Lake of the Ozarks tends to have higher uranium concentrations than many other parts of Missouri. Homes with basements or crawl spaces are especially at risk because the gas enters through cracks in the foundation, gaps around pipes, and even through the dirt floor in crawl spaces.

When we finally tested, here's what we found.

Our home came in at 6.2 pCi/L. That's above the EPA action level, but not extreme. I've heard of homes testing at 15 or even 20. Still, anything above 4 means action should be taken.

The test itself was simple. We ordered a kit online for about $15, followed the instructions—two short-term tests in the lowest level of our home—and mailed the detectors to a lab. About a week later, we had our results.

Now, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Only smoking causes more. The thing is, you wouldn't know you were being exposed. There are no symptoms. No warnings. It just builds up over time, especially in winter when our homes are sealed up tight.

If you're wondering whether your home needs testing, here are the main reasons to check:

-You live in an area with known higher radon potential. Central Missouri falls into the higher zones on the radon risk map.

-Your home has a basement or crawl space. Most Missouri homes do.

-You've never tested before. Or it's been more than five years since your last test.

-You're planning to sell your home. More buyers are asking for radon test results.

-You're seeing musty smells, condensation on pipes, or wood rot issues in your basement or crawl space.

The good news is that radon mitigation works. Really well.

A properly installed radon mitigation system can reduce levels by 80 to 99 percent. We had one installed in our home last month. The process took about a day. The crew was professional, cleaned up after themselves, and best of all, our follow-up test came back at 1.4 pCi/L—well below the action level.

If you're in the Osage area and want to know your home's radon levels, we can help. We offer free radon testing and estimates for homeowners in Osage Beach, Jefferson City, Columbia, and all of Central Missouri.

Call (573) 877-7377 to schedule your free assessment.