I inspected an old office building that was going to be renovated. The inspection contract included an assessment of asbestos containing materials (ACM) and, lead paint. Radon was not considered initially as a risk for the occupants. After taking InterNACHI Advanced Radon Course, I recommended doing a full radon inspection and, air testing. The walls and floors of the basement had cracks as shown in the attached photo. The recommendation was accepted and, the inspection was done. The short-term air radon concentrations were under EPA´s recommended limit of 4 pCi/L, but the client was happy with the added value to the inspection.
Open sump pump pit. This is a very common location for radon gas to enter the via a stack effect, which is a comm on occurance in many homes. This sump opening should be covered with a gasketed cover that has an outlet for the sump discharge as well as an outlet for, at a minimum, a passive radon vent stack consisting of a 3" (MINIMUM) pvc vent.
Photo of a typical Radon test in progress. Two canisters placed in lowest level of the home, within all other guidelines for placement of test. The test ran for 48 hours and provided results of <4pCi/L, no mitigation was necessary in this dwelling.
We moved to Georgia from Michigan a few years ago. Our first Carpenter Bee season was enlightening. We don’t have such a critter in Michigan, we had no idea what they were and the kids were terrified of them at first. After asking some locals what the huge bugs with FAA numbers on their tails were, it was explained they were Carpenter Bees and harmless… sort of. While they don’t bother humans, they wreak havoc on wood trim, decks, rails, fencing, etc. Not only do they do their own damage, they are a delicacy for woodpeckers, which do additional damage getting at the larva laid in the wood.
Photo of a radon test that was performed on my home. It was a free test that the state of Colorado provides once for homeowners as a courtesy. As you can see the test was hung at eye level, and left for 4 days per the instructions. While the basement where this was placed is not perfectly a “closed environment” it was an area where there were no open windows or doors to the exterior. After four days the envelope is resealed and returned to a lab for testing. I received the results in about a week. Our results were 2 pCI/L.
I learned that the testing while very simple, leaves the remaining results more of a task. The state rightfully suggested further testing and a re-test because while our results were not 4pCI/L they were moderate enough to be of concern.
I learned that testing is only part of the process and needs extreme care and controlled conditions, it also requires of the inspector to be wise in suggesting a subsequent course of action
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Research Article
For this assignment, I reviewed the Radon testing recommendations article from the InterNACHI library. I have always found the articles to be of utmost help and so was the case here. As I read through the information it continues to strike me how difficult it is to recommend a course of action when the test results are “middle of the road”. It seems to me that several steps might be established that minimize some of the grey area involved.
For instance, I secured a radon test kit from the State of Colorado where I live, (they offer 1 to a customer for free). I performed the test per the instructions. And returned the kit or evaluation. It returned as a 2pCI/L. I also received a letter from the State suggesting some further action. It concurs with the comparative results that are linked in the article (see “Radon Risk Comparison Chart”) below:
2 pCi/L About 32 people could get lung cancer 6 times the risk of dying from poison Consider fixing between 2 and 4 pCi/L
In this case, I feel that further testing is required and a more accurate result and conclusion are needed. SO I propose some steps for more accurate testing. IF YOU USE A PASSIVE TEST KIT:
Duplicate the test (do it with two kits) and possibly use two diverse kinds of passive tests.
Always secure the test kits in a tamper free environment.
Be ready to mitigate and fall on the safe side.
Also I fully appreciate the recommendation from the article which states;
“If time permits, long-term tests (more than 90 days) can be used to confirm initial short-term results. When long-term test results are 4 pCi/L or higher, the EPA recommends mitigating the home.” INTERNACHI
I have learned much about the radon issue and its dangers. I think that public information is sorely lacking behind and because there is a possible high ticket mitigation on the back end people would rather not know!
Having just finished the radon course from na hi, I’m still surprised by how little I knew about radon and the significant health risk that it posed. So for this article I’m do used on the health risks.
Now knowing that radon is the second leading a use of lung cancer after smoking and third leading cause of cancer I will be sue to present these statistics to potential customers so that they have all of the necessary information in a king their decision to test for radon. Not to mention retesting g my house.
Before the process of mudjacking came along sunken or tilted concrete sections had to be torn out and repoured with new concrete, still do if the concrete section is in bad shape such as cracked and falling apart.
Mudjacking involves drilling a hole or holes in the section of concrete that needs to be brought back up to level or sloped away from home, a high powered under pressure grout or slurry of cement is shout into the hole till the section of concrete is brought back into place.
Mudjacking is faster and more efficient moneywise than just repouring the whole section anew with fresh cement.
There appears to be three major problems with the installation of the fan for a radon mitigation system 1) the horizontal fan installation was done incorrectly and will trap water, prematurely wear the fan out and void the warranty, 2)
the fan is incorrectly installed in the basement creating a potential safety hazard, especially with the flimsy materials used to install this fan, and 3) the radon fan is attached to the plastic vent pipe using electrical tape. Lastly, the vent material should be PVC plastic pipe attached to the fan with heavy duty rubber couplings.
Radon
4/7/2017
In this picture the sump pump pit is not sealed to the concrete slab and is a wide open area for radon to leak into the basement. The cover should also be sealed to stop radon from entering. Radon is the number 2 cause of lung cancer and I would recommend a radon test for this home. This is a simple fix that a homeowner can do.
If you are going to be buying a home, you what to make sure that you have the home tested for radon levels. Most homes have radon and even low levels can cause damage to people. Once tested have a mitigation system installed and test again to make sure that the levels of radon have dropped.
Several key points from an ATSDR Study (Radon Toxicity - June 2000):
Miners in uranium and other types of underground mines are at risk of increased radon exposure.
Approximately 6 million homes in the United States have radon concentrations above 4 pCi/L
Exposure to excessive radon levels increases the already elevated risk of lung cancer for smokers. The primary adverse health effect of exposure to radon is lung cancer.
Although concrete slab basements allow for less soil gas entry than do unfinished dirt-floor basements, both types of surfaces could permit entry of radon
In early 2000, EPA proposed municipal drinking water levels tied to state plans to remediate radon in indoor air.
For a lifetime exposure at the EPA recommended guideline of 4 pCi/L, EPA estimates that the risk of developing lung cancer is 1% to 5%, depending on whether a person is a nonsmoker, former smoker, or smoker.
Here is a photo of a sump pump pit missing its cover. If this home tested high for radon, this could be a point of entry. I would then recommend to seal the pit with an airtight cover and approved caulk.
This home had a water heater and furnace the used indoor air for combustion. This home also had other appliances using indoor air for combustion. This can create negative air pressure within the home which can increase risk of drawing air from the soil which may contain radon.
I read the article Mortar Joints, The Article describes different types of joints commonly associated with laying brick, the tools used, the advantages/disadvantages such as weather and water resistance of each type of joint and the best to use of each joint for indoor and outdoor applications.
This is a picture of a radon mitigation system. There is no bypass present which means that water, snow, and ice can reach the fan and would work to shorten its life. There is also evidence that water has made its way to the external housing of the fan and dripped off.
This is a picture of a radon mitigation system. There is no bypass present which means that water, snow, and ice can reach the fan and would work to shorten its life. There is also evidence that water has made its way to the external housing of the fan and dripped off.
Radon in not only found in air, it can also be found in water. Since breathing radon gas has greater consequences than ingesting it, more weight should be given to mitigating the radon gas. However, radon in water can be filtered as well and should be considered.
