Radon Testing for Mid-Michigan Homes and Businesses

Accurate Inspections LLC has decades of experience conducting radon tests in the mid-Michigan area, we can suggest radon gas mitigation measures to ensure your home and/or business do not present a health hazard. 

​These days there’s an entire industry around D.I.Y. radon testing but proper radon inspections include extremely specific equipment as well as the training to conduct them adequately.

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The Negative Health Effects of Radon Gas

Radon is a truly silent killer and one that manages to take at least 21,000 lives at year. It is a naturally occurring radioactive gas such as uranium or thorium. Although the name doesn’t sound particularly menacing, it poses a great risk to your health; and is found in soil all over the world.

Many people are unaware of the risks that Radon presents and may have not even done any prior testing to the property they are currently living in. Radon is completely odorless, colorless and tasteless which renders it basically undetectable to human senses.

Radon infiltrates buildings through any surfaces in contact with the soil and can accumulate in basements and crawl spaces. This Gas can be accounted for at least 50% of the radiation a person absorbs during his or her lifetime. Radon health effects can be devastating, especially for smokers and former smokers, since its alpha particles radiate into the lungs and cause damage to the tissues.

According to the E.P.A. at least one in fifteen homes in the U.S. has unsafe levels of Radon, which amounts to seven million homes with its owners exposed to dangerous level of radiation, many of them without even knowing it.

The federal standard, set by Radon act 51, establishes the “safe” indoor level of Radon at 4pCi/L which is the national average in outdoor spaces.  Your house  may not reach that level, but that doesn’t make it completely harmless since any exposure to Radon carries a risk.

**** We Recommend Testing Your Property for Radon every 2 - 3 years, Radon Levels can Increase Naturally****

Why DIY Radon Testing is not the Best Decision

There are several common misconceptions around radon testing, the most common being that radon is only located in the basement/underground areas and that testing only needs to be conducted once. Radon detection is not unlike any type of regular maintenance that requires periodic testing and routine checks depending on the type of building or home and if you’re planning to do any renovations.
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A conventional Radon testing takes around 48 hours and is essential if you’re moving into a property or about to start extensive renovations in an area that’s in contact with the ground.  

Steps of a Radon Test conducted by Accurate Inspections LLC

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1. All the doors and windows on the testing level are shut to insure the most accurate reading possible. 
2. The testing device is set the lowest living/operational area (basement, storage room, etc) with a distance of at least 24 inches from an exterior wall. It’s also installed on a ladder or other elevated surface to establish a minimum distance of 24 inches from the ground.
3. The testing device is left running 48 hours.
4. Once the on-site testing period is completed, the testing device is connected to a computer to calculate the average radon level

In case the test detects an average that’s over the EPA’s safety limits, Accurate Inspections LLC will recommend the installation of a mitigation device. 

Radon Gas Mitigation

A standard radon gas mitigation system vents the gas to the outside by extracting it from the ground under the property. This method is known as soil suction or active soil depressurization among others and prevents Radon from entering the property.
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After being extracted, the gas is released to the zone above the property where it dilutes very quickly. This is an active mitigation system which has been proven to lower radon levels unlike passive measures like sealing which has not demonstrated to be an effective measure in the long-term reduction of radon concentrations. 

Accurate Inspections LLC will put our decades of expertise to your service and
give you the peace of mind that comes from knowing your
​property is safe from the dangers of Radon Gas.