A local home inspector says that Upper Cumberland residents should test their homes for a dangerous gas called radon.
Local Home Inspector Barry Young said radon is a colorless, odorless natural gas produced by the breakdown of uranium in soil. Young said prolonged exposure can damage lung tissue and that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer worldwide. He strongly encourages local homeowners to have their homes tested for radon to reduce potential health risks.
“And the reason for that is because it is a colorless and odorless gas, so the only way that you know what your levels are is to actually have your home tested,” Young said.
Young said radon levels at 4 picocuries per liter or higher are considered dangerous. Young said many home inspectors do perform radon testing and added that homeowners can actually do the testing themselves.
“The test that I use is actually a metal canister, so it’s filled with activated charcoals,” Young said. “So you just place that canister in the designated spot in the home. Of course, we do have to follow guidelines to be able to get an accurate reading, which the testing devices, they do come with instructions for placement as well. So yes, homeowners can do their own testing.”
Young said if results come back at dangerous levels, he recommends homeowners call a home inspector to perform a professional test to make sure the results are accurate. Young added that there are ways to reduce the levels of radon in a home.
“The most common method is called a deep subsoil pressurization system, which means that they are going to pull basically a vacuum underneath the basement concrete floor, or they are going to pull a vacuum underneath the cross-based plastic vapor barrier, and that gets exhausted to the exterior,” Young said. “And that is very efficient, and oftentimes it will remediate the radon levels from the home.”
According to research, Radon is more prevalent during the winter months as home ventilation is less effective with cold temperatures. Young said, unfortunately, not many people in the region are aware of radon and do not know that it could be impacting their health.