What Is Radon and Why Should You Care?

Radon is a cancer-causing radioactive gas that can enter your home and cause harm without you ever knowing. In today’s post, we’ll take a closer look at what this naturally occurring gas is, what danger it poses, and how you can protect your home.

Total House Inspection in Michigan provides Top Rated Local® radon inspections for homeowners across Oakland, Macomb, and the surrounding counties. Contact our team in Rochester Hills today to schedule the radon inspection you need.

Where Radon Comes From

Radon comes from the natural decay of uranium, which is found in nearly all soils. Since radon typically moves up through the ground, it can enter your home in a variety of ways:

• Cracks in solid floors
• Construction joints
• Cracks in walls
• Gaps in suspended floors
• Gaps around service pipes
• Cavities inside walls
• The water supply

Why You Should Care

Exposure to radon in the home is responsible for approximately 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year according to the EPA and is estimated to be the second-leading cause for lung cancer in the United States. When you breathe air that contains radon, you can develop lung cancer. Smoking is the only thing bigger than radon when it comes to causing lung cancer.

Should You Test for Radon?

You should absolutely have your home tested for radon! The only way to know whether your home has dangerous radon levels is to test. Since there are no immediate symptoms that alert you to the presence of radon in your home, and the gas is odorless and colorless, testing is the only way to determine the danger level. In fact, waiting to test means that you could have years of exposure to this harmful gas before you begin to exhibit problems.

Since testing is inexpensive and easy, there is no reason to procrastinate. Total House Inspection in Michigan can send a professional to your home and complete the test in a very short amount of time.

Lowering Radon Levels in Your Home

Once the test has been completed, you’ll know whether you need to mitigate the radon levels in your home. Lowering radon levels can be accomplished in several ways, but the primary method that is used is a vent pipe system and fan. This setup pulls the radon that lies beneath your home and vents it to the outside. Known as a soil suction radon reduction system, it doesn’t require any major changes to your home, which is part of the appeal of this method. It is much more effective and cost-efficient than sealing foundation cracks and other openings.

If your home has crawl spaces, then you’ll be glad to know that similar systems can be installed in these areas as well.

Test Before You Buy a Home

When you’re looking to buy a new home, you’re probably thinking about the age of the house, the size of the property, and a number of other things. You’re probably not thinking about whether it might have dangerous radon gas leaking into it from the soil below the structure. It’s very important to ask for a full radon test to be performed if there is not currently a radon reduction system in place in the home. In some cases, a professional intervention will be required to correct a problem with high radon levels.

Contact Total House Inspection in Rochester Hills today to schedule radon testing for your home. We’re proud to offer Top Rated Local® house inspections for all your needs.