What You Should Know About Radon

What is Radon? 

Radon is a radioactive gas that has been found in homes throughout the United States - especially in North GA due to the proximity to Stone Mountain. Like carbon monoxide, radon is colorless and odorless. And, typically moves up through the ground, into the air and into our homes through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Radon can also enter your home through well water.

 Cobb, Dekalb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties have been found to have some of the highest elevated levels of radon gas in the entire state. (Sure Thing Home Inspections)

How Harmful is Radon?

 Just to put the level of harm in perspective for you, the EPA estimates that radon causes about 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year. (www.epa.gov/radon) 

ALL homes have some levels of radon, either on a slab, basement or crawl space. A dangerous level of radon is 4 picocuries per liter or higher - however, radon levels less than 4 still pose a risk. Fortunately, there is a relatively simple mitigation system to rid your home of radon. 

Testing for Radon

If you're thinking about buying a home, for a minimal cost, you may want to consider having a radon test completed to ensure the safety of your potential new home. If you're selling your home, having your home tested and sharing those results with an interested buyer could be a positive selling point. When testing for radon, companies will need a minimum of 48 hours for the testing device to accurately read the level of radon. Throughout the duration, you'll want to operate your home's heating and cooling systems normally.

Our team will be happy to point you in the right direction and provide you with home inspection company options that we've used for years and trust with our clients, to perform an accurate radon test. If you have any other questions about radon, we will be happy put you in contact with a radon specialist that can best answer all of your questions!