Radon Gas in Niagara Region: What Homeowners Should Know
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Radon gas is one of those home concerns that you cannot see, smell or taste — and you cannot reliably determine whether a home has elevated radon simply by looking at the property.
That makes radon particularly important for homeowners and home buyers in the Niagara Region.
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas produced by the breakdown of uranium in soil and rock. It can move through the ground and enter buildings through openings and pathways around foundations. Once inside an enclosed building, radon can accumulate.
Health Canada says all homes have some level of radon, and the only way to know the concentration in a particular home is to test.
What Is Radon Gas?
Radon is a radioactive gas created naturally as uranium in soil and rock breaks down. Unlike many household hazards, radon provides no obvious warning. It is invisible, odourless and tasteless.
Radon is present throughout Canada. Concentrations can vary considerably from one building to another — even between neighbouring homes. Soil characteristics, foundation construction, openings in the foundation and pressure differences between the house and surrounding soil can influence how much radon enters a building.
That is why a neighbour’s radon result cannot tell you what the radon level is inside your home. The only way to know is to test.
Is Radon a Concern in Niagara Region?
Yes — but the local data needs to be understood properly.
The 2024 Cross-Canada Radon Survey includes a Niagara census-division dataset based on 95 radon readings. It reports 73.7% of readings below 100 Bq/m³, 14.7% between 100 and 200 Bq/m³, and 11.6% at or above 200 Bq/m³. The geometric mean was 62.9 Bq/m³ and the maximum observed reading was 857 Bq/m³.
That does not mean every Niagara home has high radon. It means elevated radon is present often enough that testing is worthwhile.
What Is the Canadian Radon Guideline?
Health Canada’s current guideline is 200 Bq/m³. Bq/m³ means becquerels per cubic metre and is the unit used to measure radon concentration in indoor air.
Health Canada recommends corrective action when the average annual radon concentration exceeds 200 Bq/m³ in a normally occupied area. The higher the radon concentration, the sooner action should be taken.
200 Bq/m³ should not be interpreted as a magical line between “safe” and “unsafe.” Health Canada states that there is no level of radon exposure considered completely risk-free. The guideline is the level at which corrective action is recommended.
How Does Radon Get Into a Niagara Home?
Radon can enter through openings and pathways that connect the building to the surrounding soil. Potential entry routes can include cracks in basement floors, foundation wall cracks, floor-to-wall joints, gaps around pipes and utility penetrations, open sump pits, floor drains, construction joints, gaps around support posts and crawlspace openings.
The presence of a crack does not mean a home has high radon. Likewise, a home with an apparently tight foundation can still have elevated radon.
Does Having a Basement Mean My Home Has Radon?
Not necessarily. Basements and other below-grade areas can be important locations for radon because they are closer to the soil and can contain pathways through which soil gas enters the building.
Health Canada recommends testing the lowest lived-in level of a home. A finished basement family room, home office or bedroom may therefore be an appropriate testing location when it is the lowest level where people normally spend significant time.
How Do You Test a Home for Radon?
Testing is relatively straightforward. Health Canada recommends a long-term radon test of at least 91 days, ideally conducted during the fall and winter heating season.
A long-term test gives a much better indication of the home’s average radon exposure than relying on a short snapshot. Testing can be performed using a do-it-yourself test kit or by using a professional who is certified through the Canadian National Radon Proficiency Program (C-NRPP).
What If My Radon Test Is Above 200 Bq/m³?
Don’t panic. An elevated result means it is time to take action, not that the home is uninhabitable.
Health Canada recommends hiring a certified radon mitigation professional to determine the appropriate method for reducing the concentration. One common approach is active soil depressurization, where a system draws soil gas from beneath the building and exhausts it safely outdoors.
The appropriate solution depends on the building. Do not assume that sealing a few cracks is enough to solve an elevated radon result.
Should You Test for Radon When Buying a Home?
It is worth considering. A standard home inspection can identify conditions that may provide pathways for soil gas entry, but a visual home inspection cannot determine the actual radon concentration inside the home.
Radon requires measurement. Because concentrations can vary significantly between homes, asking whether a property has previous radon testing can be worthwhile, particularly when purchasing a home with a finished basement or another regularly occupied below-grade area.
Can a Home Inspection Detect Radon?
A home inspection can identify visible conditions that may be relevant to radon entry, such as foundation cracks, open sump pits, drainage openings and other foundation penetrations.
However, a home inspection is not a substitute for a long-term radon test. Radon is a gas. There is no reliable visual inspection that can tell an inspector how much radon is present.
What About Newer Homes?
A newer home can still have elevated radon. Age alone does not determine radon concentration. New construction can incorporate radon-resistant measures, but those measures do not eliminate the need to understand the actual indoor radon level.
What About Older Niagara Homes?
Older Niagara homes deserve the same approach. A house’s age does not automatically mean it has a radon problem.
Older foundations may have settlement cracks, deteriorated joints, older floor drains, open sump pits, utility penetrations, crawlspace connections, previous renovations or additions with different foundation construction. These conditions can be worth documenting during a home inspection, but their presence does not prove elevated radon. Testing does.
What Niagara Homeowners Should Remember
- Radon is naturally occurring. It comes from the breakdown of uranium in soil and rock.
- You cannot see or smell it. There is no reliable sensory warning.
- Every home can have some radon. Neighbouring homes can have very different concentrations.
- Niagara has documented elevated results. The 2024 survey found 11.6% of 95 Niagara readings at or above 200 Bq/m³.
- Testing is the answer. A long-term test of at least 91 days provides a much better assessment than guessing from geography or construction age.
- 200 Bq/m³ is Canada’s action guideline.
- Elevated radon can be reduced. Certified mitigation professionals can install systems designed to lower indoor radon concentrations.
A Calm Approach to Radon
Radon is worth taking seriously, but it is not something homeowners need to fear blindly.
Don’t guess. Test.
If your result is low, you have useful information. If your result is elevated, you have useful information — and there are effective ways to reduce the concentration.
How SCHI Approaches Radon-Related Concerns
During a home inspection, Shawn Chesney Home Inspections looks at the visible condition of the property, including the foundation, basement, drainage and other components that may be relevant to the home’s overall condition.
Thermal imaging and moisture measurements can provide additional information when appropriate, but radon concentration itself requires dedicated radon testing.
If a property raises questions about indoor air quality or potential environmental concerns, SCHI can explain what was observed and when additional specialist testing may be appropriate.
Inspections so thorough I put my name on them.
Book a Niagara Region Home Inspection or call/text Shawn at (905) 228-6544.