Chad Bridwell is a certified home inspector.
Every week, we ask a real estate professional for their Short List, a collection of tips and recommendations on an essential topic in real estate. This week, we talked with Chad Bridwell, a certified home inspector, on why it is important to test your client’s home for radon.
10. Radon is a radioactive, colorless, odorless and a tasteless noble gas, occurring naturally as an indirect decay product of uranium or thorium.
9. Radon is usually found in igneous rock and soil, and in some cases, well water may also be a source.
8. Radon gas is easily ingested and is the second leading cause of lung cancer (smoking ranks first).
7. Approximately 21,000 people die each year from lung cancer, due to radon gases.
6. Approximately 2,900 of radon gas deaths occur among people who have never smoked.
5. Areas of the home that have the greatest risk for elevated radon levels are basements, rooms in contact with the ground and the rooms immediately above them.
4. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends all homes that test 4.0 pCi/L or above for radon be mitigated / corrected.
3. The EPA recommends homeowners with a radon rating between 2.0 pCi/L to 4.0 pCi/L in their homes to consider radon mitigation corrective actions.
2. Radon levels in homes can be corrected to acceptable EPA levels through installed radon mitigation systems.
1. Weather conditions can effect radon readings, i.e. high winds (30+ MPH), heavy rains and open ventilation sources (windows, doors, fans, etc.).
Along with his wife Mary, Chad Bridwell is a certified home inspector specializing in radon and mold testing to include the 14 counties surrounding the greater Athens area. Chad is a retired Marine (CWO3) and a member of the American Society of Home Inspectors; along with various memberships and involvement in the real estate community and local Chamber of Commerce. Chad and Mary Bridwell are the Franchise Owners of Pillar To Post Home Inspections in Athens, GA. Each office is independently Owned and Operated.