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Home Inspections in Oakland County MI & Surrounding areas

Our Mission is to provide our clients with the knowledge and confidence to make educated buying decisions.

 
 
 
 
 

Radon Inspections

Radon is a serious health hazard with a simple and inexpensive solution!

 Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after active smoking and the leading cause in non smokers.

EPA estimates that about 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the U.S. are radon-related. Exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. Radon is an odorless, tasteless and invisible gas produced by the decay of naturally occurring uranium in soil and water. Radon is a form of ionizing radiation and a proven carcinogen. Lung cancer is the only known effect on human health from exposure to radon in air. Thus far, there is no evidence that children are at greater risk of lung cancer than are adults.

Radon in air is ubiquitous. Radon is found in outdoor air and in the indoor air of buildings of all kinds. EPA recommends homes be fixed if the radon level is 4 pCi/L (picocuries per liter) or more. Because there is no known safe level of exposure to radon, EPA also recommends that Americans consider fixing their home for radon levels between 2 pCi/L and 4 pCi/L. The average radon concentration in the indoor air of America's homes is about 1.3 pCi/L. It is upon this level that EPA based its estimate of 20,000 radon-related lung cancers a year upon. It is for this simple reason that EPA recommends that Americans consider fixing their homes when the radon level is between 2 pCi/L and 4 pCi/L. The average concentration of radon in outdoor air is .4 pCi/L or 1/10th of EPA's 4 pCi/L action level.

For smokers the risk of lung cancer is significant due to the synergistic effects of radon and smoking. For this population about 62 people in a 1,000 will die of lung-cancer, compared to 7.3 people in a 1,000 for never smokers. Put another way, a person who never smoked (never smoker) who is exposed to 1.3 pCi/L has a 2 in 1,000 chance of lung cancer; while a smoker has a 20 in 1,000 chance of dying from lung cancer. Figure A compares the risks between smokers and never smokers; smokers are at a much higher risk than never smokers, e.g., at 8 pCi/L the risk to smokers is six times the risk to never smokers.

The radon health risk is underscored by the fact that in 1988 Congress added Title III on Indoor Radon Abatement to the Toxic Substances Control Act. It codified and funded EPA's then fledgling radon program. Also that year, the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General issued a warning about radon urging Americans to test their homes and to reduce the radon level when necessary (U.S. Surgeon General).

Radon Misconceptions

Q. Radon is too expensive to mitigate anyway, why should I have it tested?
A. Radon is fairly inexpensive to mitigate. Generally mitigation ranges from $500 -$1500.
 
Q. My neighbors had their home tested and their Radon level was very low, why should I have my home tested?
A. Radon levels vary greatly from home to home. We have found drastically different readings in the same neighborhoods.
 
Q.  My home is fairly new: shouldn't my radon level be low?
A.  Although the technology exists to build radon resistant homes, most builders choose not to, because of the lack or knowledge or added expense.
 
Q. If I install a radon mitigation system in my home, will it hurt my resale value?
A. Because radon affects so many homes, the EPA is on a mission to create awareness to the health risks radon creates. Most educated consumers will see the mitigation system as an asset to a home.
 
Sterling Home Services, has performed many radon inspection in Oakland County and the surrounding areas. We are one of a few inspection companies in the area, that are both NACHI, (National Association of Certified Home Inspectors), and IAC2 (International Association of Certified Indoor Air Consultants) certified to perform Radon inspections.
 
 
Call us today to get a quote for your home inspection.
(248) 702-5155

 

 

 

 

 

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