The Truth About Radon

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"Radon is the 2nd leading cause of lung cancer in the United States" Everyone knows that direct smoking is the nation’s number one cause of lung cancer. But most people will be surprised to learn that radon exposure is the number two cause.

 

• The American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists says there has been little progress in getting rid of radon in homes, and that a quarter-million people will likely die from radon-induced lung cancer in the next 12 years.

 

• According to AARST, last year 75,000 homes were successfully mitigated. The cost to test and repair the homes averaged about $1,100.

 

• The group says, however, that as many as 10 million of the nation’s 75 million single-family homes may exceed the radon safety standard, and that at the current rate of home construction that number will go to 11 million homes by 2015.

 

"Testing for Radon is Simple and Inexpensive" People often attach an aura of mystery around radon and radon testing. Many suspect that radon testing will involve some complicated process that will cost them a lot of money. People are generally pleasantly surprised to learn that Heritage Inspection Service is licensed and certified to deploy a radon test kit that meets EPA guidelines. Testing your home or business for radon is as simple as placing a radon detector in a designated area, and after the prescribed number of days, it gets sealed and mailed to a lab.

 

"Radon Problems Can be Fixed" A variety of methods can be used to reduce radon in homes. Sealing cracks and other openings in the foundation is a basic part of most approaches to radon reduction. EPA does not recommend the use of sealing and caulking alone to reduce radon because, by itself, sealing has not been shown to lower radon levels significantly or consistently. In most cases, systems with pipes and fans are used to reduce radon. Such systems are called A sub-slab depressurization. These systems prevent radon gas from entering the home from below the concrete floor and the foundation. Similar systems can also be installed in homes with crawl spaces. Radon reduction contractors may use other methods that may also work in your home, depending on its design and other factors. Look in the Yellow Pages or call your state radon office to locate radon mitigators in your area.

The cost of making repairs to reduce radon depends on how your home was built and other factors. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs, like painting or having a new hot water heater installed. The average cost for a contractor to lower radon levels in a home is about $1,200, although this can range from $500 to about $2,500.

 

"Take Steps Now to Protect Your Family and Employees from Radon!" People will often do for their family and loved ones what they will not do for themselves. We can not emphasize enough that testing for radon and fixing radon problems protects your family and your workplace.

 

 

                  From more info follow this link: www.epa.gov/iaq/radon/pubs/hmbyguid.html