This week I had an interesting situation pop up that I wanted to share. First I need to back up though and talk about Radon. This post isn't to scare you - but it is here to inform you about the risk of radon in your home. I have noticed that not enough Utah Homebuyers are aware of the risks involved in Radon Exposure.
Radon is a radioactive, colorless, odorless, tasteless gas. It is the #2 cause of lung cancer in North America. It's the #1 cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. Studies have shown a clear link between breathing high concentrations of radon and incidences of lung cancer. It's a serious issue.
Radon is actually everywhere - we breath it everyday - however, in some homes there is an accumulation of higher than normal concentrations.
Radon at potentially harmful levels is found in 1 out of 3 homes in Utah. When helping a client purchase a home, I ALWAYS recommend a Radon test. For $150, it could reduce a potentially dangerous risk to you and your family.
Here's a short video
So back to my story: I have some wonderful, lovely clients who I helped purchase a home this week - they were happy to do an inspection but weren't too concerned about the Radon test. I pressed the issue and strongly suggested the test (actually, I didn't shut up about it!) because it was in an area that I had seen other homes test high for and felt that I needed this for peace of mind (both theirs and mine). After much discussion and persiverance, they decided to go ahead with the test. And they are SO glad that they did. The results just came back in and guess what? 7.6 pCi/L. The average indoor radon concentration is 1.3 pCi/L and anything over 4 pCi/L poses a risk to your health. The Radon is high and a health hazard.
So now what do we do? We're going back to the seller to renegotiate.Some work needs to be done by professionals to allow the Radon to be directed out of the house. A mitigation system will be installed. These systems typically consist of a plastic pipe that is connected to the soil through a hole in the slap floor, through a sump lid connection or beneath a plastic sheet in a crawl space. A quiet, continuously operating fan is attached which diverts and discharges the radon outdoors. It will be a cost to the seller but in order for us to move forward with the sale of the home, they will need to cooporate with us on this. It's only fair.
So my advice for anyone who is buying a home in Utah - I strongly urge you to get a Radon test. It's a small price to pay and you owe it to yourself and your family! If you need the names of some well reputed testers, send me an email and I'm happy to provide you with some names!
For more information regarding Radon, please visit the United States Environmental Protection Agency at their website here - http://www.epa.gov/radon/
As always, thanks for reading!! Have a wonderful weekend and talk to you soon!!
All the best,
Jill
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