Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This is a copy of a Radon report from when I compiled when I was training. After placing a calibrated continuous radon monitor in the lowest livable area of the house and letting the test run for 48 hours, the average was 4.2 pCi/l. There was no evidence of the monitor or test being tampered with. The client was advised that the Radon level was above the EPA mitigation limit and was advised to seek further evaluation and mitigation.
Research & Writing Assignment:
I read the Radon article targeted to consumers. It was a good tool to read so I can better communicate in layman’s terms the importance of Radon testing. It will help me to provide better service to my clients and to help make their new home safer.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
For this particular essay involving Radon, I looked into different measuring devices used in the home inspecting industry and read the differences. Certain brands offer different applications or ways they read, easier user interfaces and more. I did like the Sun Nuclear machines and their applications.
Research & Writing Assignment:
For this essay I looked into pictures showing the proper locations for placing continuous radon testing devices. All of the pictures show ideal locations which is the lowest location in a home. Preferable locations where in the basement, in common areas like bedrooms.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Radon:
While doing an inspection of our own home I observed many cracks on the existing concrete slab.
I also observed that the house is built on a shale deposit in a hill site, the house was built in 1972. Judging for all of these things I would recommend a radon test as it seems highly probable that it will contain radon.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Radon:
When buying a new home it is prudent to inquire weather or not it has a passive depressurization radon control system built into it. If not, I would include the addition of a radon removal system in the price of the house, and have it installed by a professional certified contractor before I move in, the health benefits far out weigh the cost.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This property has a crawlspace. A typical radon reduction system installed in this type of home is a sub membrane depressurization system. This will basically cover and seal the soil in the crawlspace with a 6mil membrane and vent the air underneath to the exterior.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Air Pressure Inside a Home - This gallery is an important aspect of radon entry into a home. Air can enter a home through wind, the stack effect or combustion and ventilation. Proper understanding and mitigating these principles of airflow if a large part of keeping radon out of the home.
Research & Writing Assignment:
The article I read was Radon. Its just a summarized version of what I learned in the the course material. But it will help better explain what radon gas is, the health affects, and how to deal with it to the customer. This article can be useful.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Radon mitigation systems use sub-slab depressurization to prevent radon from entering your home by drawing the radon from below the house and venting it through a pipe to the outside air above the roof. Radon mitigation systems can reduce radon to below 2 pCi/L.
Research & Writing Assignment:
EPA recommends radon mitigation if the results of one long-term test or the average of two short-term tests show radon levels of 4 pCi/L or higher. With today’s technology, radon levels in most homes can be reduced to 2 pCi/L or below. The cost of a mitigation system may vary according to the home’s design, size, foundation, construction materials and the local climate. Radon reduction systems average costs nationally are $1,200 with a range from $800 to $1500 common depending on house and market conditions.
This image shows an opening between the drywall and the dryer exhaust hose housing. This particular housing is located directly behind the dryer on the second floor of a two story house built in 2013. As you can see the opening was not sealed or finished properly and is a point of air escape compounded by the stack-effect. This can contribute to loss in interior pressure thus causing a vacuum in the lower part of the house which could contribute to radon gas entering the house through the slab on grade. Although this house is relatively new and has polyethylene sheeting below the slab it most likely will not suffer any serious radon entering the house. If this were an older home with a crawlspace without any radon mitigation in place it could be seen as a radon concern.
Mold poses a problem to humans by their spores. These spores can be released into the air when they land on damp indoor surfaces, they can continue to grow given the right conditions. Such mold growth if left unaddressed can quickly spread and cause damage to the structure of a home. It could affect the respiratory health of susceptible individuals. Musty odors, moisture intrusion via a roof or plumbing leak, or even evidence of suspected mold can warrant a mold inspection. It is important for home owners to check for leaks both inside and outside and making sure their home is free of the main culprit which is water. The tools commonly used by home inspectors for mold inspection are moisture meter, humidity gauge, thermal imaging or infrared camera, borescope, and rotameter. Mold testing involves two main methods: air sampling and surface sampling. Both types require analysis by a certified laboratory.
Wish this was approved in Canada. I want to take this course but not sure if I shoud pay for the Canadian one.
You guys need more accreditations in Canada!
Ready to get going, thanks
I live in a radon affected area, so this will be a valuable addition to my areas of expertise.
Hello! I just enrolled in this course and am excited to get started!
Hello ! I just enrolled in this course and my question is regarding the NRPP Entry-Level Certification Exam. The exam content it is close to this course ? There are any simulation regarding NRPP Exam that I can take it before I will sit for the exam ?
I will appreciate any tips regarding the studying process / subjects that are on the NRPP Exam.
Thank you in advance for the help !
I don’t know how frequently you check or update these courses, but in the last graphic in the section Physics of Radon before the Summary (Curies, Equations, and ER) referring to Equilibrium and plate out, the last box says “Attached; plated put” I think it’s supposed to say “Attached; plated out.”
In the image that I’ve taken is of a garage floor with obviously visible crack in the concrete. In this case the crack are in a bare garage floor with no covering material, such as there would be in the interior of a dwelling such as, carpet, wood flooring, or linoleum, etc; However cracks similar to the one pictured can exist unnoticed inside the dwelling floor space, that are potencially increasing the amount of radon that can enter the interior envelope of the dwelling. The one surprising fact that I’ve learned from taking this course is how detrimental radon inhalation can be on one’s health, and that it is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Smoking tobacco products is the number one cause of lung cancer. So in practical terms you may never smoke a cigarette in your lifetime, but if you live in an environment that has high levels of radon, you could develop lung cancer!
