"It's colorless, odorless, and you can live with it for years without knowing. The only way to find radon is to test for it — and that's exactly what Bobby specializes in."
Most home inspectors treat radon as an afterthought, if they mention it at all. Bobby McCurry built Nspection360 around a different conviction: in North Alabama, radon is one of the most important — and most overlooked — risks in any home purchase. The geology beneath the Tennessee Valley makes elevated radon genuinely common here, and the only way to know your home's level is to measure it.
This page is meant to give you a real, plain-language understanding of what radon is, why North Alabama is a high-risk area, what the numbers mean, and what to do about it. An informed buyer is a protected buyer — and Bobby would rather you understand the risk than simply take his word for it.
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas produced as uranium in soil and rock slowly breaks down. It has no color, no smell, and no taste — which is precisely what makes it dangerous. You can breathe elevated radon in your home for years and never have the slightest sign anything is wrong.
Because it's a gas, radon seeps up out of the ground and enters homes through the paths of least resistance:
Once inside, radon can accumulate to concentrations far higher than what's found outdoors — especially in the lower levels of a home where the gas enters first and ventilation is often lowest.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States — and the leading cause among people who have never smoked. The risk comes from long-term exposure: as you breathe radon over years, the radioactive particles it releases can damage the cells lining the lungs.
The encouraging part of the story is that this risk is entirely manageable once you know about it. Radon is one of the few serious home hazards that can be measured precisely, monitored over time, and reduced reliably with proven techniques. The danger isn't that radon is impossible to deal with — it's that so many homeowners never test, and therefore never know.
That's the whole reason testing matters: it turns an invisible, unknown risk into a clear number you can act on.
Radon levels depend heavily on the geology beneath a home, and the Tennessee Valley sits on exactly the kind of ground that produces it. Limestone and karst bedrock — the foundation of much of North Alabama — is a classic source of elevated radon as the uranium within it breaks down over time.
The EPA maps radon risk by county into three zones, and large portions of North Alabama fall into Zone 1, the highest-risk tier, including the counties Bobby serves:
This isn't a reason to panic — plenty of North Alabama homes test below the action level. But it is a reason that testing here isn't optional in spirit the way it might be in a low-risk part of the country. When the ground itself is a known radon producer, skipping the test is simply guessing.
Radon is measured in picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L) — a measure of how much radioactivity is present in the air you breathe. The higher the number, the more radon, and the greater the long-term exposure.
The EPA has set an action level of 4.0 pCi/L. While there is no truly "safe" level of radon, once a home reaches or exceeds 4.0 pCi/L, the EPA recommends that you take action to reduce it. The EPA also suggests considering action between 2.0 and 4.0 pCi/L.
A professional radon test gives you your home's actual number — turning the question "is there radon here?" into a clear, factual answer you can act on before you ever sign at closing.
The EPA action level. At or above this number, the EPA recommends taking steps to reduce radon. Testing tells you exactly where your home stands.
If a test comes back at or above the action level, it is not a reason to walk away from a home — it's information you can use. Elevated radon can be reduced reliably, and often at a reasonable cost relative to the value it protects.
The most common solution is a radon mitigation system — typically a vent pipe and a quiet, continuously running fan that draws the gas from beneath the foundation and safely releases it above the roofline, before it can ever enter the living space. Properly installed systems routinely bring elevated levels down well below the action level.
When Bobby's test identifies elevated radon, he'll explain your results in plain language and point you toward qualified mitigation resources so you can make an informed decision — whether that means negotiating with the seller, planning a mitigation system, or simply going in with eyes open.
Adding a radon test to your inspection is simple — and it fits cleanly inside your closing timeline.
Add radon testing to your home inspection or book it on its own. Bobby coordinates placement and timing around your closing.
Testing is conducted to recognized protocols in the lowest livable area of the home, capturing an accurate reading over the measurement period.
You receive clear results in pCi/L with a plain-language explanation of what they mean — and your options if levels are elevated.
Yes. Radon depends on the ground beneath the home and how the home interacts with it — not its age. New construction in North Alabama can have elevated radon just like older homes. In fact, the tighter the construction, the more effectively a home can trap radon, so newer homes are never automatically safe.
During your inspection period, before closing. That way, if levels come back elevated, you have the information you need to make decisions — and negotiating room with the seller — while you still have it.
Elevated radon is fixable. A radon mitigation system — typically a vent pipe and fan that draws the gas out from under the home — can reduce levels substantially, usually well below the action level. Bobby will explain your results and point you toward qualified mitigation resources.
A standard short-term measurement runs over a set period in the home's lowest livable level. Bobby will walk you through the specific timing when you schedule so it fits cleanly within your inspection window.
The EPA notes there is no completely safe level of radon — some risk exists at any concentration. The 4.0 pCi/L action level is the point at which the EPA recommends taking action, and it also suggests considering action between 2.0 and 4.0 pCi/L. Testing is what tells you where your home falls.
DIY kits exist, but a professional test conducted to recognized protocols — placed correctly, run for the right duration, and interpreted by an experienced inspector — gives you a more reliable result you can stand behind during a real estate transaction. For a decision this important, professional measurement is worth it.
Don't guess about the air in your home. Schedule professional radon testing with North Alabama's specialist today.