PRIDE & PROTECTION FOR YOUR HOME
Radon can be fatal
- Radon is a naturally occurring gas that is invisible, odorless, colorless, and tasteless and can build up in the home in dangerous levels virtually undetected.
- It typically moves up through the ground and into the home through cracks in floors, walls, and foundations.
- For most Americans, their greatest exposure to radon is in their homes; especially in rooms that are below grade (e.g., basements), rooms that are in contact with the ground, and those rooms immediately above them.
- Radon breaks down quickly, giving off radioactive particles. Long-term exposure to these particles can lead to lung cancer.
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that radon causes about 21,000 lung cancer deaths in our country each year.
- Radon exposure is the second highest cause of lung cancer among smokers and the leading cause among non-smokers.
Radon is a health hazard with a simple solution
Having your home tested is the only effective way to determine whether you and your family are at risk of high radon exposure.The Ohio Department of Health recommends a radon test be performed before the sale of a house. The EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend and urge all homeowners to have their home tested at least every 3 years. During a real estate transaction the buyer generally pays for the test but if mitigation is required that is usually paid for by the seller, but like many things in these transactions this may be negotiated. A Radon Test can be ordered as part of (or separately from) a General Home Inspection. If a Radon Mitigation System is needed it is usually installed in 3-5 hours.
Most homes can be fixed (mitigated) for about the same cost as other home repairs, like painting or installing a water heater. The average cost for fixing your home, to lower your radon levels, often times will be between $800-2500. Of course the precise cost and mitigation methods will depend on how the home was built among other factors.
Can't I just test it myself?
- If you need test results for a real estate transaction, you need a professional radon test.
- If you consider doing a DIY test you need to know that the accuracy of a DIY test is always uncertain.
- The only tests available as DIY tests are passive tests which is then sent to a lab and the test is conducted by an amateur.
- Active tests use a continuous monitoring device to detect and record your radon levels the entire duration of the test.
- Radon test machine will sample radon gas each hour and produce 49 samples during the 2 day radon inspection in comparison with only 1 air sample from radon home kits.
I am a trained and certified Radon Tester Licensed by the state of Ohio (#RT1392). I am a certified Radon Tester with IAC2 (International Association of Certified Indoor Air Consultants) (#IAC2-08-4104). I am also certified by the National Radon Safety Board. I use an active Continuous Radon Monitor (CRM)
Sun Nuclear® Radon Test Monitor 1028 XP and I will supply a detailed report with recommendations following the test.
As you can see Ohio has potential High levels of Radon accross the state. Elevated levels of indoor radon have been found in homes in every county of Ohio.
So many areas in the midwest like Akron, Canton, and Wooster very likely have elevated levels of radon. The only way to detect it is trough testing since it is invisible and odorless. If you have a basement or crawlspace we especially recommend testing.
Resources:
To visit the EPA's page concerning Radon click (here)
Here is a link to the Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide to Radon by the EPA
Here is a link to EPA's A Citizen's Guide to Radon
For Ohio Department of Health's guide on Radon, click Bureau of Environmental Health and Radiation Protection