Living in a new build in Churchill Meadows, an older bungalow in Port Credit or a ground-floor condo near Square One? Radon testing applies to every one of them. Radon is a natural radioactive gas that comes from the breakdown of uranium in soil and rock. You can’t see or smell it, and the age of a house doesn’t predict the level inside, so the only way to know your number is to test. At Golden Home Inspections we test for radon as part of our home hazard testing in Mississauga, using long-term detectors analysed by an accredited lab. Call 647-704-7100 to book.
Yama Nehan is a Certified and Registered Home Inspector with about 15 years of home inspection experience and a construction engineering degree from George Brown (Building Renovations). He is also a licensed contractor with about 20 years of construction experience and the owner of Nehan Construction. That practical construction experience is one of the main reasons clients pick him: he knows how foundations, sump pits, floor drains and basement finishes let soil gas into a home. Yama Nehan is the only one trusted to do the inspections himself, and Golden Home Inspections reports on the home’s condition; it does not use the inspection to sell repairs.
Key takeaways
- Health Canada’s radon guideline is 200 becquerels per cubic metre (Bq/m³) in the normal occupancy area of a home.
- Health Canada recommends a long-term test of at least 3 months, ideally during the fall and winter heating season.
- Radon has nothing to do with whether a house is new or old. Churchill Meadows, Meadowvale, Port Credit and Streetsville homes all need a test to know.
- Basements, ground-floor condos and townhouses are the first places to test, because radon enters from the ground.
- The checklist below helps you place the detector correctly and avoid results you can’t rely on.
Does radon testing matter in Mississauga if my home is new?
Yes. Radon depends on the soil and on how air moves between the ground and the house, not on the build year. A newly built detached home in Churchill Meadows or Erin Mills can have a higher reading than a 1950s house in Clarkson, and two houses on the same street can have very different results. That is why Health Canada’s radon guideline applies to all homes, and why our home hazard testing page for Toronto and the GTA treats radon as an any-age test, unlike asbestos and vermiculite.
Do condo owners in Mississauga need to test for radon?
It depends on where the unit sits. Radon enters from the ground, so levels are usually highest on the lowest floors that touch the soil. Ground-floor and basement-level units, stacked townhouses and condo townhomes are worth testing. A suite many floors up in a City Centre or Port Credit tower is generally less likely to have elevated radon, but a test is still the only way to be sure if you want an answer for your unit.
What should you check before and during a radon test?
Use this checklist whether you own a detached house, a semi, a townhouse or a condo. It follows the approach in Health Canada’s guide to radon measurements in homes.
Before the test
- Pick the lowest level where someone spends at least four hours a day, such as a finished basement, a basement apartment or a ground-floor family room.
- Plan for the heating season. Fall and winter, when windows stay closed, give the most representative long-term result.
- Keep at least 3 months clear for the test, and avoid planning a basement renovation that will move the detector partway through.
- If you have a basement apartment, decide whether you want a separate result for that unit.
Where the detector goes
- At about breathing height in a lived-in room, not on the floor.
- Away from exterior walls, windows, doors and drafts.
- Away from heat sources such as furnaces, fireplaces, baseboard heaters and direct sunlight.
- Not in a kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, furnace room or closet, where humidity, fans and airflow can skew the reading.
- Not next to a sump pit or floor drain, which can give a misleading spot reading.
During and after the test
- Live normally. A long-term test should reflect everyday conditions.
- Don’t move, unplug, cover or open the detector.
- Record the start and end dates so the lab can calculate the average.
- Read the result as an average in Bq/m³ and compare it with the 200 Bq/m³ guideline.
Which Mississauga homes should test first?
| Home type | Where to place the detector | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Detached or semi with a finished basement (Meadowvale, Erin Mills, Lorne Park) | Basement family room or bedroom | The lowest lived-in level is the standard test spot. |
| Newer subdivision home (Churchill Meadows, Lisgar) | Basement if it is used, otherwise the main floor | New construction is not a reason to skip testing. |
| Home with a basement apartment (Malton, Cooksville, Streetsville) | Inside the basement unit’s living area | The basement unit often has its own result worth knowing. |
| Townhouse or stacked townhouse | Lowest lived-in floor | Townhouses often sit directly on a slab or basement. |
| Ground-floor or podium-level condo | Main living area | Closest to the ground, so the most useful condo test. |
| High-floor condo suite | Main living area, if testing | Generally lower risk; test if you want certainty. |
What does a radon result mean?
A long-term result is an average concentration in Bq/m³. If it is at or below 200 Bq/m³, it is within Health Canada’s guideline. If it is above 200 Bq/m³, Health Canada recommends reducing it, and the higher the level, the sooner you should act. Its measurement guide suggests acting within two years for results between 200 and 600 Bq/m³, and within one year above 600 Bq/m³. Radon reduction is usually done with sub-slab depressurization by a qualified radon mitigation professional, and a follow-up test confirms it worked.
What happens during our radon testing in Mississauga?
We start by asking how the home is used: which rooms are lived in, whether there is a basement apartment, and whether renovations are coming. Yama picks the detector location using the checklist above, notes the foundation, sump and floor-drain details that matter for soil gas, and starts the long-term test. At the end of the test period the detector goes to an accredited lab for analysis, and we explain the result in plain language. Radon testing can also be booked alongside a home inspection in Mississauga, so you get a picture of the home’s condition and its radon level from the same inspector.
What affects the cost of radon testing in Mississauga?
Cost mainly depends on how many detectors the home needs (for example, a separate basement apartment), and whether you combine radon testing with a home inspection, a condo inspection or asbestos and vermiculite testing. The final price depends on the home, so call us for a quote.
Frequently asked questions
Can I test for radon before buying a Mississauga home?
A long-term test takes at least 3 months, which usually runs past a typical closing date. Buyers often test right after moving in, during the first heating season. A short-term test can give an early indication, but Health Canada recommends basing decisions on a long-term result.
Is radon only a problem in older homes?
No. Radon comes from the ground, so new and old homes can both have elevated levels. The only way to know is to test.
Should every unit in a house with a basement apartment be tested?
The basement unit is the lowest lived-in space, so it is the priority. Owners who rent out a basement apartment often want that unit’s result on file.
How long until I get the result?
After the test period ends, the detector is sent to an accredited lab for analysis, and we walk you through the number once it comes back.
Want to know your home’s radon level? Call 647-704-7100 or email contact@goldenhomeinspections.ca to book radon testing with Golden Home Inspections, based in Toronto, Ontario. Hours are 9 AM–8 PM, seven days. You can also read more about radon in our step-by-step guide to radon testing in Toronto.
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