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We are committed to public education regarding safety issues. We want to help you stay safe in your own home.
What is radon gas?
Radon is a odorless, cancer-causing, radioactive gas. You can’t see or smell it. But, nevertheless, it can be there to cause your family untold problems. The effects of radon gas causes an estimated 21,000 deaths each year. Lung cancer is the result of breathing air that contains radon. In fact, it’s the second only to smoking as leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today.
It comes from the natural (radioactive) breakdown of uranium in the soil. Air pressure inside your home is usually lower than pressure in the soil beneath and around your home’s foundation. Because of this difference in air pressure, your house acts like a vacuum, drawing radon in through foundation cracks and other openings. It is found all over the country, and Tennessee is no exception. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation considers radon to be a very serious problem in our state.
As this gas breaks down, it emits high-energy alpha particles. And as we breathe these particles, they are deposited into our lungs. People who smoke and live in a home with elevated radon levels are at a very high risk for developing lung cancer.
Radon gets into your home through (1) Cracks in solid floors, (2) Construction joints, (3) Cracks in walls, (4) Gaps in suspended floors, (5) Gaps around service pipes, (6) Cavities inside walls, and (7) the water supply. Nearly 1 out of every 15 homes in the United States is estimated to have elevated radon levels. And the only way to know is to test for it.
Unless the seller has already performed a radon test, it’s hard to do it before your home purchase. Although I recommend testing before the purchase, there usually isn’t enough time. But, as part of my 100% commitment to you as a homebuyer…….I provide you with a simple test kit that will detect any elevation of radon levels in your new home.
It’s best to use a short-term test to check for any elevation of radon…..then, if warranted, do a long-term test for more accurate results. It’s just another safeguard for the safety of your family.
If you do find elevated levels of this radioactive radon gas, it’s fairly easy to lower the levels. One proven method is a vent pipe system and fan, which pulls radon from beneath the house and vents it to the outside. This system does not require major changes to your home. But the right system depends on the design of your home and other factors.
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