What is Radon?
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas formed from the radioactive decay of Uranium found in rocks and soil. Radon gas rises freely through loose gravel, cracks, and underground fissures finding its way into homes and buildings. When the air pressure inside a building is lower than the air pressure outside the building, a vacuum is created that can pull radon through concrete pores, cracks and openings in the foundation and around pipes and joints. Elevated Radon levels and long term exposure in a home or building are considered health hazards.
Where Has Radon Been Found?
Several inspection companies have started to post their testing results on this website. A Local Radon Map is in the process of being developed. There is a map provided by the State of Wisconsin but it is more of a macro picture of the state. Data is being entered all of the time and the map is constantly changing. Check back often!
What can I do to protect myself and my family from radon?
The first step is to test your home for radon, and have it fixed if it is at or above EPA's Action Level of 4 pico-Curies per liter. That's equivalent to 200 chest X-rays each year! .Because the level of radioactivity is directly related to the number and type of radioactive atoms present, radon and all other radioactive atoms are measured in pico-Curies. For instance, a house having 4 pico-Curies of radon per liter of air (4 pCi/L) has about 8 or 9 atoms of radon decaying every minute in every liter of air inside the house. A 1,000-square-foot house with 4 pCi/L of radon has nearly 2 million radon atoms decaying in it every minute. Generally, levels can be brought below 2 pCi/l fairly simply.
The best method for reducing radon in your home will depend on how radon enters your home and the design of your home. For example, sealing cracks in floors and walls may help to reduce radon. There are also systems that remove radon from the crawl space or from beneath the concrete floor or basement slab that are effective at keeping radon from entering your home. These systems are simple and don't require major changes to your home. Other methods may be necessary.People who have private wells should test their well water to ensure that radon levels meet EPA's newly proposed standard.
How is Radon Detected?
There are many ways this can be performed. Charcoal Canisters, Self-Test kits, and Continuous Radon Monitors. The canisters and kits also require a laboratory to analyse the results and send the report back. This process will add days to the testing process.
Continuous Radon Monitors are expensive and you will know at the end of the test what the results are that day! There are also features that are built-in to the continuous monitors that will detect if someone Tampered with or Powered Down the unit during the testing period. This tamper detection is very important for accurate test results and is not available with the other test methods mentioned above.
What is the Testing Process?
We have found that many people including other home inspectors do not properly set-up the radon test. This will effect the results and may not give you the information you need. Here are some important things you need to know. Make sure you choose a company that is certified. It is important to question a cheap radon testing company.
How Much does it cost?
We offer Radon testing using the Continuous Radon Monitor for $125 for the initial test. We offer a $25 discount if the radon test is scheduled as any part of your home inspection.
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