Radon In Your Home

RADON

Radon is a radioactive gas that forms from the breakdown of Uranium in the soil. It is found almost everywhere in the United States and according to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is linked too over 21,000 deaths per year. The gas is odorless, colorless and tasteless. This means that you will not know if or at what levels your Radon may be entering your home without a proper test and inspection.
The EPA recommends that you test and if your levels of Radon, measured in pCi/L (picocuries per liter), are 4 pCi/L or more than you should fix your home. If your levels are below 4 pCi/L than the levels may still pose a health risk, although lower.
So what to do? First, have your home either tested by a qualified Radon company or home inspector, or you can buy self test kits that you then send in too a lab that will return you the results. If your home is above the level deemed extremely hazardous by the EPA, then you will want to consult with a Radon mitigation company to get estimates and solutions on how to lower your levels in your home. One word of advise, be careful if you have the same company both test and repair! I believe this is a conflict of interest and you may not get the true results if they feel they can get work.. I recommend you have an independent testing done outside of a mitigation company. This will help eliminate any conflict of interest.
So how does Radon get into the home? RADON GETS IN THROUGH:

1. Cracks in solid floors
2. Construction joints
3. Cracks in walls
4. Gaps in suspended floors
5. Gaps around service pipes
6. Cavities inside walls
7. The water supply

See photo above for demonstration.
According to the EPA nearly 1 in every 15 homes has elevated Radon levels. To find out how to reduce the levels in your home, please visit: Consumer's Guide to Radon Reduction offered by the EPA. visit our website @ www.7countyhomeinspection or www.homeinspectorsminneapolis.com for more information

ICE DAMS- Clear your snow!

Clear The Roof

The time of season has arrived. We just had the 5th largest snow fall on record here in Minneapolis. So we all get our shovels and snow blowers out and start clearing our walks and driveways so we can get to work, school and places we need to be. Right now we have very cold temperatures, so the snow is pretty much staying put on top of your roof, or is it?
One problem that can occur even before the warm up is that you lack the proper amount of insulation in your attic. Besides causing frost and condensation in the attic, this can also increase the surface temperatures in attic enough to start to melt the snow that sits against the surface of shingles. When it is super cold out this becomes less likely, however, it does not mean you should wait! Now would be a great time to clear that roof. If not, here is what may happen! As the snow begins to melt higher up on the roof the water begins to flow down toward the gutter. As the water gets closer and closer to the edge, it encounters much colder temperatures and less insulation around the Soffit areas. This colder temperature re-freezes the water. This begins the process of causing what is more commonly known as an "ice dam". As more water flows down and freezes on the edges, it begins to form a higher and higher ridge (dam) that will not allow the water to run off the roof. If the water continues flowing, eventually the water will back up under the shingles or roofing material and run down through the attics, insulation, walls and ceiling. The water will take any path the follows the natural path of gravity. This also means that where the leak appears may not necessarily be the location of where the water in entering. We do recommend a qualified licensed contractor examine for any leak location. Now a good preventative measure is too install a 50lbs. ice dam membrane along valleys and edges of roofs. This commonly done in cold climate states at time of build or when re-roofing. However, this can still not guarantee no ice dams.. The best thing you can do is make sure to clear the areas of the roof atleast 3 feet up from the edges of the gutter, I usually try to reach 4 feet and if you have a susceptible area such as valleys or eaves that have leaked in the past, you may want to have roof heating cables installed in those areas by a qualified contractor or electrician.
Now that you know! Happy roof raking.....
For questions or too schedule an inspection, visit www.7countyhomeinspection.com or call us @ 612-919-3844

Roofing Mistake

Sheathing Buckle

So, you found the perfect home and it even has had its roof replaced within the last 5 years. Most people would not think there would be many concerns with leaks or problems. For the most part, this would be the case, however, there is a concern that many people may not be aware of that is cause for concern when a new roof is installed. The concern is sheathing buckle.
Sheathing is the underlying boards that attach to the rafters or trusses and support the roofing material, most commonly Asphalt shingle. The boards are made from different materials through time, sometimes it is an OSB (oriented strand board) material or plywood. When this material is taken from the manufacturer it contains a certain amount of moisture (4-6%) as most wood will contain some level of moisture. This amount of moisture is not the cause, nor concern! The issue with sheathing boards is how much additional moisture will these boards encounter in the process of being stored or traveling to a job site or when sitting on a roof just prior to being covered with the roofing material.
Recently I came across one of the worst examples of sheathing buckle I have seen. The lift was as much as 3-4 inches in a very short 8 inch strip covering over 3-4 rafters. This buckling causes a visible bulge line on the exterior roof surface (Since this roof was snow covered, the line was not visible, meaning attic inspection becomes even more critical). This condition, although not common, is not unheard of and typically involves a slight gap that you may be able to get flat ruler under to 1 inch lift. Is this cause for alarm, does not have to be. Depends on what is causing the lift. Several factors can cause the sheathing to do this. One such possibility is a lack of proper ventilation and too much moisture in the attic, especially in winter months, causing frost condensation (water) to collect on the sheathing. This will typically cause rot to the sheathing as well. The other contributor to this would be a lack of insulation, allowing hot interior moist air into the attic. However, when a roof is relatively new, there is likely another reason. What could it be? The most likely scenario is that when the roof was being installed, the roofers installed the sheathing firstly without the proper contraction and expansion gap needed to allow for the sheathing to fluctuate as it goes through hot and cold cycles and moisture levels due to humidity (controlled by ventilation and air flow). Secondly, the sheathing was likely left exposed installed on the roof of the home and was exposed to water or rain just prior to adding the shingles. The water would cause the wood to expand and since the board had nowhere to expand too, do to lacking gap, the sheathing begins to bend upward (buckling). If this buckling is severe, it is recommended to have a licensed roofing contractor evaluate and recommend repairs. Typically, this will result in having to remove the section of roof in question and replace the sheathing boards. Consult a contractor is you suspect this condition exists! This is also another good reason hire a qualified home inspector to inspect before any home purchase. You never know!!!
If you would like us to perform an inspection for you or have questions about the article, please feel free to visit us @ www.7countyhomeinspection.com , email : sevencounty@yahoo.com or call us @ 612-919-3844