Radon Testing in Kelowna & the Okanagan

A long-term test — Health Canada's preferred method — runs 90+ days using an alpha-track detector, capturing seasonal variation a shorter test can't. A short-term test runs 2–7 days with a continuous monitor, useful when a real estate closing date won't wait.

In the lowest livable level of the home — the space people actually spend time in — away from kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms where humidity and ventilation can skew a reading.

Health Canada's guideline sets 200 Bq/m³ as the action level. Between 200 and 600 Bq/m³, it recommends mitigation within two years; above 600 Bq/m³, within one year. Below 200 Bq/m³, no action is required, though periodic retesting is still worthwhile.

Consumer test kits exist, but placement, duration, and closed-house conditions all affect accuracy. We handle those details as part of a professional test, and a real estate transaction typically needs documentation a self-administered kit doesn't provide.

Any time closed-house conditions can be maintained, though heating-season testing (fall through spring) captures the conditions Okanagan homes are in for much of the year. A 90+ day long-term test run through winter naturally includes that higher-radon window.

Below 200 Bq/m³, no action is required, though periodic retesting is worthwhile. At or above 200 Bq/m³, the next step is a mitigation assessment — not an emergency reaction, since Health Canada's guideline gives one to two years to act depending on the level.