One of our preferred inspectors is Chris Meis from Honest Home Inspections and we are excited to feature him today. Chris is particularly knowledgable about radon and he is here to answer a few questions for us.

TLD: How did you get started as an inspector?

CM: I was a professional handyman for more than 10 years and I’ve done pretty much everything there is to do with a home. It was a natural transition so 2 years ago I became an inspector.

TLD: What can cause high levels of radon in a home?

CM: It varies from area to area and how the home is built. Radon emanates from the soil and can seep into the home. This can happen especially in the winter time when the air pressure is lower. It can create a chimney and pull radon gas out of the soil and into your home like a straw.

TLD: What percentage of homes do you find have high levels of radon and need mitigation?

CM: Roughly 50%, with more that are questionable. When testing for radon, it is ideal to have less 1 pCi/L. If it measures between 2 and 4 pCi/L, it is still below the threshold but still may need to be mitigated. Anything above 4 pCi/L requires mitigation. If you have bedrooms or bathrooms in the basement, it’s important to regularly test for radon.

TLD: How is radon mitigated?

CM: If there is a sump pump in the house, it is easy to install a special cover and add a chimney pipe to draw the radon out. That’s the quickest and most affordable way to do it. Without a sump pump, they can get pretty creative running the chimney pipe through your home and put a fan out side to draw radon out. Additionally we could drill a small hole in the concrete and dig out a cavity and install a fan to draw radon out that way.

TLD: Is there any new technology to help reduce or prevent high levels of radon?

CM: Builders are becoming very proactive to reduce high radon levels. Newer homes are built with radon systems built in.

TLD: What costs are associated with radon mitigation?

CM: Testing for radon with an inspection package is $150 and the individual service is $165. If mitigation is required, it can range from $1500 – $2500 depending on how your home is built and how easy it is to install mitigation systems.

TLD: What sets Honest Home Inspection apart from other inspectors?

CM: We use Radalink Air Cat monitor which takes 48 hours. It hooks up to our phone, which quickly sends the report to the laboratory and we have results within the hour.

TLD: What else should we know about radon?

CM: January is national radon awareness month so look out for specials on testing.

Click here for more information on radon from Honest Home Inspection. A huge thank you to Chris Meis for taking the time to answer our questions for our Featured Vendor Friday!