Testing Your Home for Radon

Certified Home Inspections of Northern Indiana LLC (CHI) has Radon Measurement Technicians on staff to conduct radon testing.  These Technicians are licensed in the state of Indiana as it is required to conduct radon tests. 

• CHI uses a continuous radon monitor (CRM) for testing. For a detailed technical description – click here.  Occasionally charcoal canisters are used. For more information about charcoal canisters – click here.

         EPA Protocol for testing includes…

• Tests are conducted for a minimum of 48 hours.
• The measurement should not be made near drafts caused by heating, ventilating and air conditioning vents, doors, fans, and windows. Locations near excessive heat, such as fireplaces or in direct sunlight, and areas of high humidity should be avoided. The measurement location should not be within 3 feet of windows or other potential openings in the exterior wall. If there are no potential openings (e.g., windows) in the exterior wall, then the measurement location should not be within 1 foot of the exterior walls of the building. The detector should be at least 20 inches from the floor, and at least 4 inches from other objects. For those detectors that may be suspended, an optimal height for placement is in the general breathing zone, such as 6 to 8 feet from the floor. In general, measurements should not be made in kitchens, laundry rooms, closets, or bathrooms.
• Prior to and during the test the home must be under closed house conditions. This means windows and doors are to be closed for at least 12 hours before the test and during the entire testing period.  Minimal entry and exit is okay such as letting out pets and children or opening and closing the garage door.
• No outside ventilation may occur during the test such as opening windows or running attic, whole house or ventilation fans.  Air conditioning is not considered ventilation and may be run during testing.

     Things that my affect the test and cause a false positive or negative result are…

• Opening windows and doors for a length of time.
• Weather systems such as storms or significant changes in barometric pressure.
• Humidity.

You can expect your radon test results to be different from season to season due to weather, the rate of decay from underground, and change in vacuums within the home.

Disclosure

Certified Home Inspections of Northern Indiana LLC does not avoid adverse weather when testing.  It is of our opinion that severe weather occurs a good percentage of the year in Michiana and our testing equipment allows us to see those fluctuations.  It is up to the client who ordered the test to decide whether or not they want to have the home mitigated with the information provided by the test.  The most accurate test is a long term test that can take into effect all types of weather but is often not practical during the real estate transaction due to deadlines.  Furthermore, if the radon levels are between 4.0 and 10.0 pCi/l, the EPA recommends conducting a second short term test before deciding to mitigate.

Scheduling Home Inspections 6 Days a Week

Call Right Now: 574-231-5000

CLICK HERE TO REQUEST YOUR HOME INSPECTION ONLINE

Our Home Inspectors Perform Inspections in the Following Areas:
South Bend, Mishawaka, Granger, Osceola, Lakeville, Elkhart, New Carlisle,
Walkerton, Nappanee, North Liberty, Niles, MI, Edwardsburg, MI

We're a Proud Member of the
National Association of Home Inspectors

Certified Home Inspections of Northern Indiana, LLC
Education and Discovery of Maintenance in Homes™
Phone: 574-231-5000 • Fax: 574-231-0557
19237 Edinburgh Drive, South Bend, IN 4661