Before I was a Realtor® I knew nothing about radon, but now thanks to my profession I have become educated on its existence and the harm it can cause to homeowners who are not aware. That is why it is so important for buyers to get a radon inspection when they are in the process of buying a new home.
This is my basic understanding of radon. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that rises up out of the earth from uranium. Some areas have higher concentrations of this release of gas then other areas. Pennsylvania tends to have higher amounts, making it that much more important to have a radon inspection in your home or during your purchase of your home. We know of situations where one house will have high levels of radon, and the neighbor next door will have a lower number. Too much exposure to high levels of radon can lead to cancer.
When making a house purchase, the buyer will hopefully ask for and the seller will permit an inspection contingency, in order to get a radon inspection. During that period the buyer will hire a professional to place a radon reader/monitor in the lowest level of the house they are buying. The device will remain there for a minimum of 48 hours with doors and windows closed. The device takes readings during that time and then an average radon level is determined at the end of that period. This final average number will then be graded by levels established by the EPA to see if it is a safe level or not.
If it is not a safe level the buyer will ask the seller to remedy this situation by installing a radon extraction unit in the lowest level of the house. This installation is not very costly in the scheme of things, but is a very important unit for the occupants of the house. Once installed, monitoring of the unit on a regular basis is important to ensure the unit is doing its job, extracting radon from the house.
Even if you are not buying a house, be sure you know the radon level inside your home. It is worth it.
Contact us if you want the contact info for a few local radon specialists.
More Info:
National Radon Month
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