The Lowest Level of the House
Is Where It Collects.
EPA-method 48-hour radon testing for Eagle River and Chugiak homes — placed at the lowest livable level, lab-analyzed, and returned as a written result you can act on.
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Inspections led by Larry McBain — ASHI Certified, 38+ years of Alaska construction experience.
Quick Answer
Radon testing in Eagle River uses an EPA-method short-term device placed at the lowest livable level of the home for 48 hours under closed-house conditions, analyzed by an accredited lab, and returned as a written pCi/L result measured against the EPA action level of 4 pCi/L.
Larry McBain of Signature Inspection Service is an ASHI Certified Inspector and a member of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), with 38+ years of Alaska construction experience, serving Eagle River and the Eagle River Valley.
Local Conditions
Why Test in Eagle River.
Eagle River is built into a valley, and that shows up in the foundations. Lots step up the valley walls, which means daylight basements, walkout levels, and split entries cut into the slope — below-grade living space on the uphill side of nearly every house. Radon collects at the lowest level of a building, so in this valley the lowest level is frequently also a bedroom.
Hillside Cuts and Walkouts
A daylight or walkout basement is partly buried on the uphill side. That buried wall and the slab it meets are in direct contact with the ground, and they are the surfaces soil gas crosses to get inside.
Bedrock Near the Surface
Toward the Chugach front, bedrock and coarse valley fill sit closer to the surface than they do on the Anchorage flats. Fractured rock carries gas along the fractures, which is why readings can differ sharply between lots on the same hillside.
Split Levels and Sub-Grade Rooms
The valley's housing stock is full of split entries and stepped floor plans where the lowest room is not called a basement but is still below grade. That room is where the device goes, whatever the floor plan calls it.
A Seven-Month Heating Season
From October through April the house is closed and heated. Warm air leaving the top draws replacement air in at the bottom, through the slab, the foundation joints, and any unsealed penetration. Indoor levels run highest in exactly that window.
Reading the Result
What the Number Means.
Radon is measured in picocuries per liter of air. Your report gives one number and what it means — no interpretation required on your end.
Below 2 pCi/L
At or near the national indoor average of 1.3 pCi/L. No action indicated.
2–4 pCi/L
Below the EPA action level, but the EPA advises reducing it where practical.
4 pCi/L and above
The EPA action level. Mitigation is recommended.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, and it has no color, smell, or taste. A measurement is the only way to know what a house is at.
The Process
Four Steps, Two Visits.
A short-term radon test is not a walk-through reading. The device has to sit in the house and then come back out, which is the whole reason scheduling works the way it does.
1
Placement
The test device goes at the lowest livable level of the house — the basement, the daylight level, or the ground floor if there is no below-grade space.
2
48 Hours Closed
Short-term testing runs under closed-house conditions. Windows and exterior doors stay shut except for normal entry and exit.
3
Lab Analysis
The device goes to an accredited laboratory for a measured pCi/L result rather than an on-the-spot estimate.
4
Written Report
You get the number, what it means against the EPA action level, and mitigation guidance if the result is elevated.
Scheduling
Testing in Eagle River.
Eagle River and Chugiak are inside the Municipality of Anchorage and sit in the core service area — the easiest radon scheduling available, and the simplest to bundle with a home inspection since both visits are a short drive.
Test duration
48 hours, closed-house conditions
Two visits 48 hours apart — placement, then collection.
Bundle and save a trip
Home Inspection in Eagle River
See the inspection pageFAQ
Eagle River Radon Testing Questions
Alaska has elevated radon levels in many areas, including Anchorage and Eagle River. Levels vary house by house even on the same street, because they depend on the ground under that particular foundation and on how much of the house sits below grade. Hillside lots with cut-in lower levels are worth testing rather than assuming. Testing is the only way to know.
Yes. Eagle River, Chugiak, Birchwood and Peters Creek are all inside the core service area within the Municipality of Anchorage. Radon testing can be scheduled on its own or bundled with a home inspection. Call (907) 223-3725.
At the lowest livable level — the walkout, the daylight level, or the lower floor of a split entry, whether or not that room is called a basement. Radon concentrates at the bottom of a building, so placing the device anywhere higher understates what the people using that lower room are actually breathing.
The heating season gives the most representative reading, because the house is already closed and under the pressure conditions that draw soil gas indoors. Testing runs year-round — a summer test simply requires keeping windows and exterior doors closed for the 48-hour period.
At or above 4 pCi/L the EPA recommends mitigation. A sub-slab depressurization system can reduce levels by up to 99% and typically costs $800–$2,500. We can point you toward mitigation contractors — we test and report, we do not sell mitigation, so the result is not a sales tool.
Yes. The device is placed at the start of your home inspection and collected 48 hours later. Because Eagle River is in the core service area, both visits are straightforward to schedule. Call (907) 223-3725 to book them together.
Service Area
Radon Testing Nearby
ASHI Certified inspections across Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley. Same inspector, same standard, wherever you’re buying.
ASHI Certified Inspector
Larry McBain is an ASHI Certified Inspector with more than 38 years of Alaska construction and inspection experience.
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