January is National Radon Awareness month. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, only behind tobacco smoke. It is responsible for a reported 21,000 deaths per year in the U.S.
Radon is a radioactive gas that forms when naturally-occurring uranium in granite bedrock decays into radium. This radium then decays to radon, which is a colorless, odorless gas. Radon is not harmful outside, but it can build up to damaging levels inside a house.
All of north Georgia, especially the upper third of the state, is considered to be at a moderate to high radon risk. Radon enters homes through cracks and crevices in your foundation. The air pressure inside your home acts as a vacuum, helping to pull radon up from the soil beneath.
Radon testing for your home