Do I need to get a radon test?
Posted on Thursday, August 9th, 2007 at 5:15 pm.We sometimes get questions about doing radon tests.Like any kind of contingency, it's possible to have a radon contingency in the contract.Few home buyers do this, although in the 1980's, Radon was a hot topic and frequently tested for.The type of structure can have an effect on the amount of Radon in the house. For example, if you have a below-grade basement with poor ventilation (no walk-out, for example), you may have an increased likelihood of having higher radon levels than if your home is completely above-ground. However, having said that, just because your house is above-ground does not mean you are guaranteed not to have a radon issue. You can read this information for more details - here's an excerpt:
Are radon levels affected by the ventilation in my house?Yes. Sometimes radon concentrations can be reduced to acceptable levels by increased ventilation.
This is also a great FAQ on radon.We find that only 1% to 2% of our clients do a radon test, but we've started encouraging clients to do so.
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October 19th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
Thanks for the link. I will read up on this and maybe I will determine why this issue went so quiet. I heard at the time it was serious and people needed this information. You are right, no one ever mentions now.
October 27th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
Daniel, Glad you took on this topic. ‘m suprised that you have had so few comments. I think that this is an education thing. People don’t think it is important because they really don’t understand the risks. If Dana Reeves were around today to tell people about this, people might pay more attention.
The number of your clients getting a radon test is way too low. (LOL) You need to provide them with better information because I can tell you that at 20% which is the number of my clients wanting radon tests, my percentage is way too low. I get high radon concentrations on about 20% of the tests I do. To me, those odds are high enough that every home buyer should have their house tested.
Here is a link to a recent blog about Radon Myths. Feel free to provide it to your clients.
http://activerain.com/blogsview/244827/Radon-Myths-revised
November 7th, 2007 at 4:40 pm
I have clients in a house without a basement. If they did have radon issues, how would you remediate?
December 7th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
That’s really interesting. 100% of my clients do radon. I think builders put radon remediation systems in now as a standard…not 100% sure on that because it’s so common here I just take it for granted.
December 7th, 2007 at 3:59 pm
I have a home inspection company as well as being a REALTOR(R) here in Stafford County, Virginia. I’ve been doing radon testing for over 10 years. I’ve tested all over northern Virginia. About 50% of the houses that I’ve tested have come back at over 4.0 pCi/l. 4.0 being the EPA action level. The EPA recommends that all houses be tested.