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Radon Testing

Air Quality
Is Your Home Making You Sick?

A healthy indoor environment is one that promotes the comfort, health, and well being of the building's occupants. Conversely, a sick building can be distinguished by adverse symptoms associated with time spent in the building. Sometimes our homes can become contaminated with radiation, biological or chemical contaminants that cause adverse health effects.

Radon is the heaviest gas in the Periodic Table.  It is radioactive and comes out of the soil under our homes and can accumulate in our basements, crawl spaces and it distributes through our living spaces.  Radon originates with Uranium in our soil.  Uranium is not a stable element and it slowly breaks down into other elements; eventually becoming Lead after approximately 5 million years.  Those other elements are also radioactive but they stay in the soil because they are solids (metals).  For the 4-15 days that Radon exists, as a gas, it travels through soil and enters our homes through minor gaps and pipes in the foundation.

Many people are unaware that Michigan has traces of Uranium in our soil.  Most of our deposits were left here by glaciers that covered this area 100,000 years ago that melted just 10,000 years ago.  Those glaciers dragged soil down from Uranium-rich areas in Canada and left those deposits on the land we now live upon.  Many of our homes are built atop 200 feet or more of glacial deposits.

As Radon accumulates in our homes, it produces alpha radiation that kills cells, alters DNA and most notably, causes lung cancer.  Since you want your home to be safe and healthy for your family, getting a Radon test is always recommended if you have no previous data for your home.  Testing is very affordable and very easy to accomplish.  Typically, a radon test is conducted over a 2 day period of time to represent your annual exposure in the home.  Since test results can be influenced by changes in weather and home use, there are some controls that need to be followed during the test period to ensure the results are meaningful. 

Vishey Consulting & Inspection has been identifying safe* and unsafe* Radon levels in Michigan homes for over 18 years.  Some areas in S-E Michigan are clearly at higher risk than others but unusual readings and results are scattered all over S-E Michigan.  This is why January is Radon Awareness Month in Michigan. 

(*safe levels are defined by the EPA as annual levels below 2.0 Pico-Curies of radiation per liter of air.  Unsafe levels are defined by the EPA to be over 4.0 pCi/L).

Please note that I do not sell repair services.  I independently advise on the best ways to remedy problems and recommend suppliers who are both capable and properly credentialed to do radon mitigation.  Occasionally, marginal unfavorable results can be coaxed back into safer levels with minor changes to the home and your inspector can explain what those steps are.  Typically, my services more-than pay for themselves by creating lower cost repairs or more effective repairs.


Radon testing is accomplished by a variety of means, all of which measure radiation in some manner.  The test method being used should be EPA approved and the person conducting the test should be properly trained and capable of understanding the subtle problems that can be created by improper test placement, use and interpretation.

Vishey Consulting & Inspection conducts Radon measurement with a 6-channel, Sun Nuclear "Radon Sentinel" test instrument.  This is one of the most effective pieces of test equipment available and in addition to excellent Radon measurement, this device also monitors barometric pressure, temperature, movement and Relative Humidity (because these factors can affect data interpretation).  Data is collected on 30-minute intervals for highest precision and highest statistical confidence levels.

Your home/condo should be tested if :

Your home/condo should ABSOLUTELY be tested if  your home is:

Your home/condo should NOT be tested if :

Note that there is a misconception that homes closed for long periods of time will accumulate high levels of Radon.  This is not true since radon breaks down as fast as it forms.  Generally, a home reaches a steady-state condition in about 6 hours after it is closed up.

If you would like your home tested for Radon, Call Greg Vishey at (586)665-0659 to arrange for testing.

Check My Resume and Credentials   

See why we are qualified to do your home.

HAZARDS & Repair sites (Radon Links)

Informative links on repairs and consumer safety

FAQ's - Question & Answer Page

Answers to questions about findings in our area

Can you find the things wrong in this picture? 

A quick check on your own skills of inquiry and observation... 

What do Home Inspectors Find?

A summary of 100 homes and their findings

Where does my business come from? This says a lot about us.

Email Greg Vishey at -  gregvishey@comcast.net

Vishey Home Inspection (TM) is located at 8463 Lakeshore Dr., Lexington, MI 48450. (586) 665-0659

"Vishey Home Inspection " and "A1-HomeInspection.com (SM)" are business trade names used by the Vishey Home Inspection Company of Lexington, MI. Unauthorized use is subject to prosecution under applicable state and federal laws. Information contained here-in is protected by Copyright 1998-2016  Last Revised 8/28/2016