Radon testing in Burnaby

In Health Canada's 2012 survey, none of the 109 homes tested in the Fraser North Health Service Delivery Area health region were above the guideline, a small sample that doesn't rule radon out. The larger 2024 Cross-Canada survey reports 0.9% (1 in 113) of houses at or above the guideline for Vancouver Metro Area (Vancouver CMA).

The two surveys aren't directly comparable: the 2024 study pooled about 69,000 volunteer tests and more of them were taken in basements, which partly explains its higher numbers. Neither can tell you about a single house, because neighbouring homes can differ widely.

• Use a long-term test of at least three months, with most of it in the heating season, which gives the most conservative result.
• Place the detector in the lowest level you spend four or more hours a day in, away from drafts, and follow the kit's instructions.
• If the result is above 200 Bq/m³, Health Canada recommends fixing it within a year, sooner if it's much higher.

Our full radon testing guide.

• BC Lung's library lending program puts radon detectors in many BC libraries, free with a library card, and the BC Centre for Disease Control publishes a BC Radon Map of results by area.
• For a professional measurement or mitigation, search the C-NRPP directory by your Burnaby postal code; it lists certified measurement and mitigation professionals.

• Since March 2024, the BC Building Code requires a radon rough-in in all new houses province-wide.
• The Canadian Lung Association's Lungs Matter program offers up to $1,500 toward mitigation for households with low to moderate incomes or a lung cancer diagnosis.
• If your level is high, mitigation (usually a sub-slab depressurization fan system installed by a C-NRPP-certified professional) typically costs $2,000–$4,000.