Frequently Asked Quetions

What is radon?

Radon is a naturally-occurring radioactive gas that is caused by the breakdown of rock and soil. During the breakdown process, radon gas decays to form radioactive elements that can be inhaled into the lungs and damage lung tissue. Long-term exposure to radon in indoor spaces like your home can increase your risk of lung cancer.

What are the health risks of radon?

Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in Canada, after smoking tobacco.

Long-term exposure to radon in enclosed spaces (like the inside of your Winnipeg home) increases your risk of lung cancer. When radon breaks down, radon forms radioactive elements which can be inhaled and absorbed into your lungs.

If you use tobacco, radon exposure is even more dangerous. If you’re a lifelong smoker and have long-term exposure to high levels of radon, your risk of getting lung cancer is 1 in 3.

Your risk depends on the level of radon and how long you’ve been exposed to it.

How does radon get into my home?

Radon is produced naturally when rock and soil break down. Radon is drawn into your home because your house has lower air pressure than the soil that surrounds it.

Radon enters the home through any opening where the house touches the soil. Common areas of radon entry include cracks in the foundation, construction joints, spaces around pipes, floor drains, sumps, basement windows, or any other structural gap that meets the soil.

How do I tell if there is radon in my home?

You can’t see or smell radon because it is a colourless, odourless, and invisible radioactive gas. Radon cannot be detected without testing.

We offer affordable, reliable options for radon testing. If you would like a radon test, we will send a trained technician to install the testing kit in your Winnipeg home. After the testing period is over, our technician will collect the results and send them to a testing lab.

If you are wondering about the radon levels in your Winnipeg home, learn more about our radon testing service, including our free 15-minute on-the-spot test.

Who should test for radon in their homes?

The Canadian Cancer society urges all homeowners to test their house for radon. In Manitoba, nearly 1 in 4 homes have higher than acceptable radon levels. Even though everyone should get their homes tested for radon, tobacco smokers are at a higher risk.

Are older homes at higher risk?

Old or new, your Winnipeg home rests in soil that naturally produces radon gas. In Manitoba, 1 in 4 Manitoban homes having higher than acceptable radon levels because of our uranium-rich soil.

No matter the age of your home, it is still important to get your radon levels tested. Many new builds come equipped with a radon mitigation pipe, but this does not mean the pipe is in use or that your radon levels are safe.

The only way to know if your radon levels are safe is to test.

How do I test for radon?

Health Canada recommends a long-term radon test lasting at least 3 months. This gives the most accurate picture of your home's average radon level across different seasons and conditions.

Here's how our process works: we visit your home and perform a quick 15-minute on-the-spot check to get an early indication of whether your levels may be elevated. If results suggest a concern, we'll walk you through the next steps and answer any questions on the spot. If levels appear to be below the Health Canada guideline, we'll recommend a trusted 90-day test kit to leave in place for a more accurate long-term reading.

Prefer to test on your own timeline? You can also purchase a test kit to place in your home yourself for 90 days, then send it to an accredited lab for analysis. Either way, you'll receive a clear written report with your result and a recommendation for next steps.

View our radon testing options

How do I lower radon levels?

It is easy and affordable to lower your home’s radon levels. Here are a few quick tips:

• Seal cracks and gaps in your foundation, which is where radon is commonly drawn into the home. Watch out for common problem areas, like basement windows, service pipe entries, drains, and construction joints

• Improve air circulation by installing mechanical ventilation

While sealing gaps and increasing ventilation are great DIY options, only a specialist can provide professional advice on a radon mitigation plan.

We offer radon mitigation services in Winnipeg to keep your home safe.

What does it mean if your radon levels are over 200 Bq/m³?

If your radon test shows levels over 200 becquerels per cubic metre (Bq/m³), it means your home exceeds the guideline set by Health Canada, and action is recommended.

Long-term exposure to radon at or above this level increases the risk of lung cancer, even for non-smokers. Radon is a colourless, odourless gas, so the only way to know your level is through testing.

What to do next depends on how high the reading is:

• Just over 200 Bq/m³: Mitigation is recommended, typically within the next 1–2 years.

• Well above 200 Bq/m³ (e.g. 400+): Mitigation should be addressed sooner, often within months.

The good news is that radon levels can usually be reduced effectively with a professionally designed mitigation system, often lowering levels by 80–99%.

How long does it take for radon levels to go down after a mitigation system is installed?

In most homes, radon levels drop within 24 hours after a radon mitigation system is installed. To make sure the system is working properly, a follow-up radon test should be done between 24 hours and 30 days after installation.

For the most accurate result, the test should be done while the home is in its normal, lived-in state, with windows and exterior doors kept closed as much as possible for about 12 hours before and during the test.

Radon mitigation systems often reduce radon levels by 80 to 99%. It’s a good idea to retest your home every two years or after major renovations.

How much does radon mitigation cost in Winnipeg?

Radon mitigation in Winnipeg starts at $1,800 for a standard installation. The final cost depends on a few factors: your home's foundation type (poured concrete, block, or crawl space), how much pipe routing is needed, and whether your home already has a roughed-in radon pipe from the builder.

Homes with a roughed-in pipe are often less expensive to complete because the sub-slab penetration is already done; we add the fan and exterior venting. Every home is different, which is why we offer free quotes. Most Winnipeg homeowners find the cost straightforward once they see exactly what's involved.

Is radon mitigation covered by home insurance in Canada?

In most cases, no. Standard home insurance policies in Canada treat radon mitigation as a maintenance or health-related improvement rather than damage caused by an insured event, so it typically isn't covered.

That said, it's always worth checking with your insurer; some policies differ, and coverage rules can change.

What we can tell you is that radon mitigation is a one-time cost that lasts 10–20 years. Compared to the long-term health risk of elevated radon exposure, most homeowners find it well worth the investment.

How long does a radon mitigation system last?

A properly installed radon mitigation system will last 10–20 years with minimal maintenance. The main component that wears over time is the fan, which runs continuously but is designed for long-term operation.

We recommend testing your radon levels every two years to confirm the system is still performing well. You should also re-test after any major renovations, particularly if you've made changes to your foundation, windows, or ventilation. If your fan ever stops working, replacement is straightforward and much less expensive than the original installation.

Will a radon mitigation system actually work in my home?

Yes, in the vast majority of homes, a professionally installed radon mitigation system reduces radon levels by 80 to 99%.

Active sub-slab depressurization, which is the system we install in most Winnipeg homes, is the method recommended by Health Canada and has a strong track record across a wide range of foundation types.

The key is correct diagnosis before installation. We assess your home's foundation and soil conditions to design a system that will work for your specific situation, not a one-size-fits-all solution.

Which Winnipeg neighbourhoods have you tested homes with radon levels above the Health Canada guideline?

We've tested homes above the Health Canada guideline of 200 Bq/m³ across Winnipeg, including in Riverview, River Heights, Fort Richmond, St. Vital, St. Boniface, Wolseley, Transcona, Charleswood, and newer developments in the south end like Bridgewater and Waverley West.

Radon levels in Winnipeg don't follow a simple neighbourhood map. We've seen high readings in homes right next to homes that tested fine. Manitoba's uranium-rich soil means elevated radon is a province-wide reality, not a problem isolated to specific streets or areas. The only way to know if your home is affected is to test. We serve all Winnipeg neighbourhoods.

My new-build home already has a radon pipe, do I still need to test?

Yes, and this is one of the most common misconceptions we see in Winnipeg new builds. Many homes built in Manitoba after 2010 come with a roughed-in radon pipe, but roughed-in does not mean active. Without a fan connected to the pipe and proper exterior venting, the pipe does nothing to reduce your radon levels.

If you're not sure whether your system is passive (pipe only) or active (pipe plus fan), the easiest way to check is to look for a fan unit, typically installed in the mechanical room or crawl space, with a pipe running through or alongside the house to the exterior. We can assess your existing setup and tell you whether it's working, what it would take to activate it if it isn't and do an on-the-spot radon test.

What radon level is considered dangerous in Canada?

Health Canada's guideline is 200 Bq/m³ (becquerels per cubic metre). If your home tests above this level, mitigation is recommended. The lower your levels, the lower your risk — there is no completely safe level of radon, which is why even results between 100–200 Bq/m³ are worth taking seriously. Manitoba homes are tested against this Canadian standard, not the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline of 100 Bq/m³. Health Canada has also communicated that no level of radon gas in a home is safe.

Can I trust a radon test result from the previous homeowner or seller?

Not always. Before relying on a seller's test, find out when it was done, where the device was placed, and who conducted it. Results can change if structural work, renovations, or changes to the HVAC system have been made since the test. If the test is more than two years old, or if you're unsure about the conditions, it's worth booking an independent test before closing.

My neighbour's home tested fine. Does that mean my home is safe?

No. Radon is highly localized. Two homes side by side, even identical builds on the same street, can have completely different radon levels depending on the specific soil pathways beneath each foundation. The only way to know your home's radon level is to test it directly.

Will the mitigation system be noisy?

No. Radon mitigation fans run continuously but are designed to be very quiet; most produce a low hum similar to a refrigerator. In most homes, you won't notice it from your living space. If the fan is installed in an interior location, such as a utility room, or routed through a closet and out into the attic, noise is rarely a concern at all. We use an RN4-4 adjustable fan, which is quiet and can be set higher or lower as needed.

Does the fan run all the time, and what does it cost to operate?

Yes, the fan runs continuously; that's what keeps radon levels consistently low. Turning it off allows radon to begin accumulating again. Operating costs are minimal. Most radon fans use between 20 and 90 watts, which works out to roughly $25–$75 per year on your Manitoba Hydro bill depending on the fan model and your usage rate.