In this article, I’ll attempt to clear up the confusion regarding the necessity of Radon testing.
What is Radon?
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas. It is odorless, tasteless and is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Radon is caused by the decay of uranium and radium which are present in most rocks and soils. Radon moves into homes through floors and walls, including concrete foundations.
When does Radon become dangerous?
The EPA recommends repairing any home that has Radon levels above 4.0 pCi/L and considering repairs for levels between 2 and 4 pCi/L. It is important to note that there is no known level of Radon that is considered safe and prolonged exposure to low doses may be hazardous.
EPA Recommendations
The EPA and Surgeon General recommend having a Radon test performed whenever you buy, or sell, a house. Retesting is recommended every 5 years, if the levels were found to be below 4.0 pCi/L, or every two years if Radon levels were over 4.0 pCi/L.
How Tactical Inspections MI tests for Radon
At Tactual Inspections MI, we use a Continuous Radon Monitor to record hourly Radon levels for 48 hours. Depending on the levels found, we may follow that up by a longer test, to confirm that remediation is necessary.
Can I test for Radon myself?
Absolutely, there are a number of reliable home testers available. We do recommend hiring a professional, as they will provide more detailed results, in a faster timeline, which is important for real estate transactions. Professionals also undergo training, which helps them to measure results in the proper way, which will lead to more accurate results. Click the link below for a sample report.
Sample Radon Report from Tactical Inspections MI
Can high Radon levels be fixed?
Yes! Radon mitigation is actually a fairly straightforward and not terribly expensive process. Depending on the construction of your home, there are several different ways to mitigate the problem. One of the most common involves drilling a hole in the foundation slab and installing an exhaust pipe with a fan, which will release the Radon to the exterior of the home (above the roofline) and depressurize the area below the foundation, stopping air from leaking into it. Typical costs to have such a system professionally installed range from $750-$1,500. For ethical reasons it is recommended to use different companies to test for and remediate Radon. Once the Radon remediation system is installed, a new test should be run by the same company that ran the first test.
https://tacticalinspectionsmi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sample-Radon-Test-Redacted.pdf
Radon resources
The EPA has excellent information on Radon that you can find in the links below.
https://www.epa.gov/radon
https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-05/documents/hmbuygud.pdf
Schedule your Radon test today
Click the link below to schedule your Radon test today.
Hello David,
Wow that is a lot of powerful information that I have never even heard of. Do all homes have the possibility of having this issue? Or is there a way to know if it is something that we as homeowners should test for regardless of having any type of issues?
Thank you for this.
This post deals with credible info about Radon- a radio active source inside your your where you are living.
The danger is inhaling random is health destructive. You need absolutely a low quantity to pass your home inspection test either buying or selling it.
I am happy to learn about Radon mitigation procedure. Thank you.
For such low level measure a trained professional is necessary for home inspection.
the EPA guidance is an awesome info in this site.
Thank you for sharing this important knowledge.
I am so glad I came across this article! I had no idea about how dangerous radon can be, nor did I know that nature itself can produce it. I was looking over the products that were recommended and they are quite affordable for what I was expecting, but as you mentioned, I think is safer to with a professional that has the knowledge of what they’re doing than to do something yourself and feeling insecure because you’re not sure if you did it right – not that you can do thing on your own, but having anxiety, I’d rather have a professional inspection.
I learned something useful from the article, something I didn’t even think about. Nowadays we are exposed to a lot of radiation, from mobile phones to microwave ovens to X-rays. It is very important for our health to exclude as many of these radiations as we can. And Radon is one of them, because there is a solution for it.
I learned something useful from the article, something I didn’t even think about. Nowadays we are exposed to a lot of radiation, from mobile phones to microwave ovens to X-rays. It is very important for our health to exclude as many of these radiations as we can. And Radon is one of them, because there is a solution for it.
I was unaware of the threat that radon might pose, as well as the fact that nature itself is capable of producing it. I agree with the fact that it is more secure to work with an expert who has the knowledge of what they’re doing than to do something on your own.
What do I do if my results show unsafe radon levels?
I was unaware of the threat that radon might pose, as well as the fact that nature itself is capable of producing it. I agree with the fact that it is more secure to work with an expert who has the knowledge of what they’re doing than to do something on your own.
What do I do if my results show unsafe radon levels?