It seems like every time we turn around, we’re being warned about another new health hazard to worry about. And, while there is nothing new about radon gas — it has been around pretty much forever — it has only in recent years emerged as a problem that buyers and homeowners need to think about.
Radon is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas that occurs naturally through the breakdown of uranium in rock, soil and water all over the U. S. Accumulating in basements and throughout homes to often dangerous levels, it is a very serious health hazard as the #1 cause of lung cancer deaths in non-smokers and accounting for a whopping 20% more deaths in the U. S. each year than drunk driving.
The good news is, radon is easy and inexpensive to test for. Homeowners can buy a radon test kit at the hardware store for about $25, place it in the house for 48 hours, then ship it off to a laboratory for analysis. Buyers can hire a radon testing and mitigation company to perform a similar test in a home they are buying, paying about $175. More good news is that, if radon levels are dangerously high (4.0 pCi/L), mitigation is fairly inexpensive and easy to accomplish, basically through the installation of a receptacle under the building to pull in the radon gas and a vent with fan to redirect the gas up and over the home, dispersing harmlessly in the air.
For more information about radon and how to test for a mitigate it, follow this link to the EPA’s brochure, A Citizen’s Guide to Radon. Questions or comments? I’d love to hear from you: pat@patflynnrealtor.com or 503-860-2640.
