Radon Gas Measurement
Borges Home Inspections offers fast and accurate Radon gas measurement, using the latest double-entry active monitor testing. My investment and upkeep in these machines insure that you will have the fastest and most precise measurement. My fee for a Radon test is more than competitive; starting as low as $100, it is lower than most companies in the area.
If you’re unsure about Radon gas in homes, you may want to visit the EPA, but here is the condensed version:
Radon is a tasteless, odorless, invisible gas that occurs naturally throughout the earth’s crust. Despite being discovered in 1900, this radioactive, cancer-causing gas is still wrought with misconception. We’ve only been able to detected it in homes since the mid 1980’s.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., only smoking causes more. In fact, the EPA estimates that annual radon related cancer deaths are greater than drunk driving and home fires combined. The National Cancer Institute also estimates that radon induced lung cancer costs us over $2 Billion each year in both direct and indirect healthcare costs.
“This neighborhood doesn’t have radon.”
Unfortunately, this phrase is common for some sellers, agents, contractors, and even other home inspectors. What they don’t realize is that they’re currently breathing in radon as they say it! Radon is everywhere, we simply measure how much is in your house. Since it is a single-atom gas, it can easily penetrate drywall, concrete, wood, and most insulation. It settles in the lowest area of the house, which is why we test in basements. Also, your neighbor’s radon level has no effect on the radon level in your house; some of the highest readings in the U.S. were next to houses well below the EPA’s level for recommended action. The only way to know is to test.
If you’d like to add a Radon measurement to the home inspection, we can offer a significant discount since I will be at the house already, (depending on the distance from the office.)
In our service area, (Hampden and Hampshire counties,) the EPA states that about 11% of homes are above the 4.0 pCi/L threshold in which they recommend mitigation. My results over the last 15 years of testing seem to generally resemble that finding; about 1/10 houses.