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Dan Smullen
PO Box 400
Black Mountain, NC 28711


Phone/828-337-5609
Fax/828-669-9425
Email/dan@peaceofhome.biz

 

 

 

Radon (Rn)

 

About Radon Testing

The following information should help you decide whether to add a radon test to your inspection request.  For your peace of mind and safety of your family, the minimal cost is surely worth it. Don’t wait until one day when you want to sell your home and THEN find that the level was way above the mitigation threshold.  The new buyer will most likely ask you to mitigate it, and you will have derived no benefit from this cost. Why take a chance?

What is Radon Gas? Radon is a cancer-causing radioactive gas. You can’t smell it, see it, or taste it. But it may be a problem in your home. When you breathe air containing radon gas, you increase your chance of lung cancer. In fact, the Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high.

SURGEON GENERAL HEALTH ADVISORY
"Indoor radon gas is a national health problem. Radon causes thousands of deaths each year. Millions of homes have elevated radon levels. Homes should be tested for radon. When elevated levels are confirmed, the problem should be corrected."

EPA Recommends:

  • If you are planning on buying a home or selling your home, have it tested for radon.
  • For new homes, ask if radon resistant construction features have been used.
  • Fix the home if the radon level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or higher.

How Can You Get Reliable Radon Test Results? Your best way to obtain reliable results for radon testing is to hire a NEHA certified radon measurement provider. Peace of Home uses state of the art computerized monitors and is NEHA certified [NEHA # 103439RT.]   NEHA is the National Environmental Health Association.]

Radon Has Been Found In Homes All Over The U.S. The EPA warns not to rely on radon test results taken in other homes in the neighborhood to estimate the radon level in your home. Homes that are next to each other can have different indoor radon levels. While radon problems may be more common in some areas in the local community or state, any home may have a problem. Testing your home is the only way to find out what the radon levels are.

EPA Map of North Carolina Radon Zones

The U.S. EPA and the U.S. Geological Survey have evaluated the radon potential in the U.S. and have developed this map to assist National, State, and local organizations to target their resources and to assist building code officials in deciding whether radon-resistant features are applicable in new construction. This map is not intended to be used to determine if a home in a given zone should be tested for radon. Homes with elevated levels of radon have been found in all three zones. All homes should be tested regardless of geographic location. The map assigns each of the 3,141 counties in the U.S. to one of three zones based on radon potential. Each zone designation reflects the average short-term radon measurement that can be expected to be measured in a building without the implementation of radon control methods. The radon zone designation of the highest priority is Zone 1.

 

Zone 1

Highest Potential (greater than 4 pCi/L)

 

Zone 2

Moderate Potential (from 2 to 4 pCi/L)

 

Zone 3

Low Potential (less than 2 pCi/L)

Important: Consult the EPA Map of Radon Zones document (EPA-402-R-93-071) before using this map. This document contains information on radon potential variations within counties. EPA also recommends that this map be supplemented with any available local data in order to further understand and predict the radon potential of a specific area.  This and other indoor air quality publications can be ordered through the IAQ INFO Clearinghouse.

Note: Of the 6 counties served by Peace of Home, Buncombe, Henderson and Transylvania counties have the highest incidence of radon, but high levels have been detected in every county in certain areas. 

Smokers Beware!  Cigarette smokers who have Radon concentration of 10 pCi/L or higher increase their chance of developing lung cancer by as much as 18 times or 1800%.

Common Radon Entry Points...

  • Block Walls
  • Slab Joints
  • Drains
  • Cracks In Floor
  • Sump Pump Hole

How Radon Gets Into Homes and Offices. The greatest concentration of Radon is usually found in the lowest level of the homes or offices. This is because Radon is found in the soil and rock beneath the foundation. If you have dirt floors in the basement, cracks in the foundation, or openings from the sump pump hole or drain, Radon is likely to build up quicker and in higher concentrations.

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