Radon: What it is and what you need to know!

Radon: What it is and what you need to know! 

When my husband and I bought our first home in Wake Forest in 2014 we had never heard of Radon. Thankfully we had a great real estate agent on our side (and so will you, working with Kima Real Estate Group!) who knew all about it and why we should test for it. Our levels were nothing to worry about, but in my time in real estate i've seen Radon levels as high as 5 times the EPA allowable level, which you'll learn about below! 

How much do you know about Radon? Like I said, we had never even heard of it, other than MAYBE as an element on the periodic table way back in chemistry class ;-) I'm going to try and break down some facts about Radon to help add value to you as a home owner, or potential home buyer. 

What Is Radon? 
1. Radon is a cancer causing radioactive gas. It is odorless, tasteless, and you can not see it. 
2. It occurs naturally from the decay of uranium in soil, rock, and water in the ground. 
3. It is found all over our nation, but certain areas have historically higher concentration of Radon than others. 
4. Radon is the SECOND highest leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, only behind smoking. 

When is Radon Dangerous?
1. If your home's radon levels are at or above 4 pCi/L you are exposed to approximately 35 times as much radon as the NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) would allow if you were standing next to the fence of a radioactive waste site. 
2. While there is no true "safe" level of radon, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) tells us that the action level - when mitigation needs to take place -is at 4.0 pCi/L. 
3. Most EPA lifetime safety standards for carcinogens are established based on a 1 in 100,00 risk of death. Most scientists agree the risk of death for radon at 4.0 pCi/L. is approximately 1 in 100. 

How do I test for Radon?
If you are a homeowner in the Triangle, or considering buying a home in the Triangle there are a number of great home inspectors who offer radon testing. The cost of a radon test is only about $150.00 and that is worth every bit of the piece of mind the test gives most people. 
1. A home inspector will usually place a 48hr monitoring kit inside the home. This continually runs and tests the levels all throughout the day. At the end of the test the readings are averaged to give you the result. 
2. Radon test kits should be placed on the ground where possible, in living areas of the home. Doors should be kept shut as much as possible, and windows should not be opened during the testing period. A radon test should never be left in a crawl space. 
3. If you have reason to believe your water may be contaminated by Radon there are tests for that as well. 

What if the home has high levels of Radon?
As scary as it may seem to know your home, or the home you're buying has high levels of radon, the good news is that Radon Mitigation is a pretty simple, and fairly uncostly ($800-$1200) process that can remove most of the Radon from your home. A system is installed (usually by a professional, though there are some DIY kits) which mitigates through ventilation either collected below a concrete floor slab or membrane in the ground, or by increasing the air changes per hour in the structure. Treatment systems using aeration or activated charcoal are also available to remove radon from water supplies. 

If you're purchasing a home in the Triangle area, or are a local homeowner, hopefully this provided you some valuable insight on Radon and how it may be part of your home buying or selling process. Don't fret though, we are here and ready to help you navigate radon testing and mitigation, plus anything else that may pop up along the way! We have great inspectors and mitigators we can refer to you if you're in need of someone currently!