Front Range
In Denver, radon is a normal home test
A Porch Note from Colorado Porch — plain-English local details for all 64 Colorado counties.
You cannot see radon or smell it, which is exactly why it slips past so many Denver homeowners. The gas rises out of the soil and rock under a house, then seeps in through the foundation and settles in basements and the lowest rooms, where people often sleep or spend their evenings.
The only way to know your level is to test, and a short-term kit is inexpensive and easy to set up. Denver connects residents to state radon resources, to licensed professionals who do testing and mitigation, and to help for some lower-income households that cannot afford the fix on their own. Colorado’s health department treats radon as a real health concern statewide and keeps the testing and mitigation guidance gathered in one place.
A test belongs on the inspection checklist for anyone buying, and it is worth repeating for owners whose home has never been tested, has a newly finished basement, or has just gone through major work that could change how air moves through the house.
A high reading is not a verdict on the house. It is simply a signal to bring in a qualified professional for a mitigation plan, which usually means a vent system that draws the gas out from under the slab before it ever reaches the living space. Denver’s radon page and the state health department’s radon guide are the two places to read first, before you hire anyone or buy a kit.
Sources
Official or primary sources used for this note. Local details can change, so confirm before acting.