RADON TESTING:
Our job as your professional home inspector is to alert you, to the extent possible, to unknown problems and potential hazards in your home. Radon Gas is one of those potential hazards.
Radon Gas is a common problem in metro Atlanta. Radon is a radio-active gas that comes out of the soil and migrates into homes all around the United States. Because most of metro Atlanta has extensive granite formations underground, we tend to have higher radon readings in our homes. Once radon gas enters the home, it becomes trapped by tight construction techniques that keep our homes well sealed and energy efficient. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), radon gas is a class A carcinogen and is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers in the United States.
The EPA recommends that every home be screened for radon gas; the EPA strongly advises that any home with a radon reading of 4.0 pCi/l or higher, be professionally mitigated to reduce radon levels to a safe and acceptable level. The EPA estimates that a reading of 4.0 is equal to about 200 chest X-rays per year.
Atlanta Property Inspections can help by conducting an EPA approved radon screening test at the time of your home inspection. Our continuous radon monitor will take hourly readings of the interior of your home and will provide a report and graph detailing radon levels inside the home.
If the radon levels exceed the EPA's 4.0 actionable level, there is no need to panic or look for another home. It is important to note that high radon levels inside a home can be corrected by installing a vented mitigation system that draws radon gas out of the foundation area safely before it enters the home. The system is usually vented through the roof and expels the radon outside. The ventilation system can include one or more quiet, low speed electric fans that run continuously at little on-going cost. The systems can often be installed for around $1500 - $2500.
Radon Gas is prevalent in four of the largest and most populous counties in metro Atlanta - they include DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett and Cobb counties - see the EPA radon map of the Georgia counties above. The red counties are listed as "High Potential" for radon gas, the orange counties are listed as "Moderate Potential" and the yellow counties are listed as "Low Potential".
For more information online and to download the helpful EPA publication "The Homebuyers and Sellers Guide to Radon" please visit www.epa.gov/radon/pubs.
We encourage you to do your own research to decide whether you feel a radon test is desired. We can start your radon test at the time of inspection and have results in about 2-3 days. Call us at 770.932.8634 for more information.
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