Haley Home Services Radon Information - Home Inspections and Building Consulting

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Radon is a naturally occurring, invisible, odorless gas that comes from deposits of uranium in soil, rock, and water. It is harmlessly dispersed in outdoor air, but when trapped in buildings, can be harmful, especially at elevated levels. The health risk of excessive exposure to radon gas is an increased risk of lung cancer. Exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US behind smoking. It is estimated that radon causes more than 20,000 deaths per year.

Most indoor radon enters homes from the soil or rock beneath it when Radon and other gases rise through the soil and get trapped under the house. When warm air rises naturally inside the home, it creates a vacuum in the lower areas of the house. The natural reaction to this vacuum is air from beneath the structure containing radon is sucked up into the home through openings (cracks, doors, windows) on the lower levels. Radon gas enters the same way air and other soil gases enter the home; through cracks in the foundation floor or walls, hollow-block walls, and openings around floor drains, heating and cooling ductwork, pipes, and sump pumps. Once inside, the radon can become trapped and concentrated.

Testing is the only way to find out your home's radon levels.

While radon problems may be more common in the upper piedmont and mountain counties of North Carolina, any home may have an elevated radon level. New and old homes, well-sealed and drafty homes, and homes with or without basements can have a problem. The only way to determine the level is to conduct a radon test.

Any home can have a radon problem. This means new and old homes, well-sealed and drafty homes, and homes with or without basements. In addition, indoor radon levels vary from home to home. Do not rely on radon test results taken in other homes in the neighborhood - even ones next door - to estimate the radon level in your home.

In fact, you and your family are most likely to get your greatest radiation exposure at home. That is where you spend most of your time. Nearly 1 out of every 15 homes in the United States is estimated to have an elevated radon level. Elevated levels of radon gas have been found in homes in your state.

Radon Myths and Facts

MYTH: Scientists are not sure that radon really is a problem.

FACT: Although some scientists dispute the precise number of deaths due to radon, all the major health organizations (like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Lung Association and the American Medical Association) agree with estimates that radon causes thousands of preventable lung cancer deaths every year. This is especially true among smokers, since the risk to smokers is much greater than to non-smokers.

MYTH: Radon testing is difficult, time-consuming and expensive.

FACT: Radon testing is easy and inexpensive.

MYTH: Radon testing devices are not reliable and are difficult to find.

FACT: Reliable testing devices are available from qualified radon testers and companies.

MYTH: Homes with radon problems can't be fixed.

FACT: There are simple solutions to radon problems in homes. Hundreds of thousands of homeowners have already fixed radon problems in their homes. Radon levels can be readily lowered for $800 to $2,500 (with an average cost of $1,200)..

MYTH: Radon affects only certain kinds of homes.

FACT: House construction can affect radon levels. However, radon can be a problem in homes of all types: old homes, new homes, drafty homes, insulated homes, homes with basements, and homes without basements. Local geology, construction materials, and how the home was built are among the factors that can affect radon levels in homes.

MYTH: Radon is only a problem in certain parts of the country.

FACT: High radon levels have been found in every state. Radon problems do vary from area to area, but the only way to know your radon level is to test.

MYTH: A neighbor's test result is a good indication of whether your home has a problem.

FACT: It's not. Radon levels can vary greatly from home to home. The only way to know if your home has a radon problem is to test it.

MYTH: It's difficult to sell homes where radon problems have been discovered.

FACT: Where radon problems have been fixed, home sales have not been blocked or frustrated. The added protection is some times a good selling point.

MYTH: I've lived in my home for so long, it doesn't make sense to take action now.

FACT: You will reduce your risk of lung cancer when you reduce radon levels, even if you've lived with a radon problem for a long time.

Haley Home Services
Phone: 919-412-4864 \| Fax: 919-882-9910
Email: Michael@HaleyHomeServices.com \| Mobile: 919-412-4864
1605 Burnley Dr. Cary, North Carolina 27511