Most radon reports reach a buyer or seller as an email attachment, and most readers jump straight to the average. That figure, measured in picocuries per liter, does decide whether a house is above the EPA action level of 4.0. But a two page report from a continuous monitor carries much more: who ran the test, whether the house stayed closed, how the levels moved hour by hour, and whether anything about the device or the conditions should make the average suspect. In northeast Ohio this matters more than usual. Glacial sand and gravel, together with uranium bearing shale bedrock, let soil gas move easily into basements, and Stark County is regularly listed among the region’s higher radon areas. Ohio sellers have also been required since 1993 to disclose any previous radon results they know about, so a report written during one sale can follow the house into the next.
Reading those pages well is easier when the person who produced them can explain each line, and that is the approach Genesis Radon has taken since 2008. The North Canton company holds two Ohio Department of Health credentials, Radon Specialist RS256 and Radon Contractor RC287. It works regularly with real estate agents and home builders across the Akron and Canton area. Its owner has handled readings as high as 350 pCi/L and installs both internal and external systems using Festa Radon Technologies equipment. For a straightforward written estimate, send your report and address to genesisradon@gmail.com.
The Header Block
The top of the report identifies who stands behind the result. In Ohio, that identification is a legal requirement, not a formality.
License number: the Ohio Department of Health credential of the person who placed and retrieved the device, usually shown with a prefix that indicates tester, specialist or contractor.
Device serial and calibration date: the specific monitor used and the date it was last checked against a reference chamber.
Ohio’s radon statute, Chapter 3723 of the Revised Code, requires the state to license testers, mitigation specialists and contractors. Under the state’s rules, testers must keep calibration records for at least five years. A real estate report with no license number, or with a calibration date more than about a year old, is worth questioning before anyone negotiates a price over it. Calibration is typically done annually, but the device’s own protocol sets the exact interval.
The Test Conditions Section
This part tells you whether the house was set up so the reading reflects how radon really behaves in it.
Closed house conditions: windows and exterior doors kept shut except for normal coming and going, starting about 12 hours before the test and lasting through it.
Test location: the lowest level that is used or could be used as living space, usually a finished or finishable basement in this region, with the device placed away from drafts, exterior walls and sump pits.
The minimum duration for a short term test is 48 hours. Many reports also show whether a signed noninterference agreement was collected from the occupants. Weather notes belong here too. A sharp pressure drop, a heavy rain or strong wind during the test can push readings up or down, and a careful tester records it instead of letting the average absorb it silently.
The Hourly Data and Graph
This is where a continuous monitor shows its value over a charcoal canister, and it is the section most readers skip.
Diurnal pattern: the normal daily rise and fall in radon, typically higher overnight and in the early morning when the house is warmer than the outside air and draws soil gas upward.
Anomaly flag: a reading or sudden shift that the device or the tester marks as unusual, often linked to motion, a power interruption or a sharp change in conditions.
A smooth wave that repeats each night is reassuring. A curve that drops steeply at 2 p.m. on day one and never recovers suggests something changed, such as an opened window or a moved device. That is why many monitors now log tilt, temperature and humidity along with radon. In October and November the overnight peaks often grow as furnaces start running. This is the stack effect at work, and it explains why a fall test can read higher than one taken in July.
| Report line | What a sound entry shows | What should prompt a question |
|---|---|---|
| Tester license | ODH number, matching name | Missing or expired number |
| Calibration | Recent date, device serial | No date or date over a year old |
| Duration | 48 hours or longer | Shorter run with no explanation |
| Location | Lowest livable level, detailed placement | Garage, crawlspace or near sump |
| Hourly curve | Repeating day and night cycle | Abrupt drop with no recovery |
| Tamper data | No motion or power events | Tilt, unplugging or gap in log |
The Result and the Fine Print
The summary line gives the average, and the fine print explains what that number means.
Action level: 4.0 pCi/L, the point at which the EPA recommends fixing a home.
Consideration range: 2.0 to 3.9 pCi/L, where the EPA suggests homeowners think about reducing levels anyway, since no radon exposure is considered entirely safe.
Disclaimers usually note that a short term test is a snapshot and that a long term test of 90 days or more gives a better yearly picture. A seller who received a 3.8 in a dry August has a different situation from a buyer looking at a 3.8 taken in January, even though the summaries match.
When a Mitigation Proposal Follows
If the result is high, a written proposal usually follows, and it should be read with the same care. In Ohio, when the company that performed the test also offers to install the system, the contract must say so clearly and explain the value of a second opinion and of long term testing. The Ohio Department of Health radon program lets you confirm that both the tester and the contractor are licensed.
Internal system: pipe runs up through the house, often through a closet or garage, with the fan mounted in the attic.
External system: pipe exits through the rim joist or wall and runs up the outside of the house, with the fan mounted outdoors.
A sound proposal names the fan model, the location of the suction point, the pressure gauge you will read on the pipe, and a post mitigation test scheduled at least 24 hours after the system starts. That follow-up test produces a new report, and you can read it the same way, from the header block down.