The tasteless, odorless, silent, invisible killer
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When I first started in the real estate business 9 years ago I learned of a potential threat to all of us living here in Utah…Radon gas. Like many people I knew nothing about this gas and I was oblivious to its dangers.
If someone were to ask you about the following items, which would you say is the most dangerous?
- Radon Gas
- Drowning
- Fire
- Airplane crashes
We commonly hear about all of these things and take preventative measures against all of them with the exception of Radon gas. We station lifeguards at public pools and beaches, install smoke detectors in our homes and fire sprinklers in our buildings, we endure safety speeches before every flight we take. However, radon gas is estimated to cause more deaths in the US than each of these things. In fact, Radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US with smoking being the leading cause. Interestingly, those who are exposed to elevated levels of radon and smoke increase their chances of lung cancer by 10 times.
Unfortunately, we have an elevated risk of Radon gas here in Utah. My understanding is that the granite rock so prevalent in Utah is the cause of our elevated levels. In my zip code, 84109, 60 of the 184 home tests reported by the state of Utah were above acceptable EPA levels. In fact, it is estimated that 3 in every 10 homes in Utah test above the EPA acceptable levels. Compare that to the national rate of 1 in every 10 homes testing above acceptable levels and you can see why our awareness of this threat should be on all of our minds.
Radon gas is a natural occurring gas that typically moves up from the ground to the air above. It is caused from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and is radioactive. It is widespread throughout the US and is found in all types of buildings. Radon gets in your home through cracks in solid floors, construction joints, cracks in walls, gaps in suspended floors, gaps around service pipes, cavities inside walls or in the water supply.
Radon Gas is measured in picocuries per liter or pCi/L. The national average outdoor level is .04 pCi/L and average national indoor level is 1.3 pCi/L. The EPA considers levels above 4.0 pCi/L dangerous and recommends taking action. Testing is easy and there are different testing methods to consider. Test kits start at $10-$30 and can be found online or at many big box home improvement centers.
Being in the real estate business I am astonished by how many buyer forego testing for radon gas. Furthermore, I rarely come across radon mitigation systems installed in the many homes I tour daily. With the estimated levels of radon in the homes here in Utah I would expect to see many more. According to the EPA, only 20% of new homes being constructed include radon resistant features like roughed in vent pipes or making the foundation radon resistant.
How will this affect you when buying or selling real estate? Well, when purchasing an existing home always test for radon or recommend that your home inspector test for it. If you are going the new construction route, insist that your builder take preventative measures like installing the vent piping. When I have worked with buyers that elected to test for radon, a surprising percentage of the homes came back with elevated levels. In those situations, most of the sellers were willing to foot the bill for a radon mitigation system. All of them were appalled when they discovered that the home they have been living in for years was dangerous. This saved my buyers $1700-$2000 and gave them the peace of mind of living in a safer home.
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Date: Friday, February, 1st 2008 @ 03:21:51 PMViews: 402
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