Radon: A Toxic Threat to Homeowners

The Dangers of Radon When Buying an Older Home

Radon is a naturally-occurring gas that is undetectable to the human nose. It is radioactive and is known to cause lung cancer. It is often found in older homes, but can be found in newer construction as well. Learn what there is to know about this deadly gas, how to find out if you have dangerous levels in your home and what steps you can take to remove it from your home.

Radon Basics

Radon is a by-product of uranium that has begun to break down in the soil. It cannot be smelled, seen or tasted and is known to cause lung cancer. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this gas is responsible for 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year and is second only to smoking as a cause of lung cancer.

Radon is found all over the United States and can infiltrate any type of building. As uranium breaks down in the soil, rocks and water, the gas is released and enters the air you breathe. It gets in to your house via small foundation cracks, construction joints, water supply pipes (especially if you have well water) and gaps around service pipes. Since gas rises up from the ground, any holes, cracks or gaps at ground level pose the highest risk for entrance. Once inside the home, it is trapped until it is naturally ventilated to the outside. Indoor levels often rise in winter and drop in summer. This is most likely due to having windows and doors open in the summer resulting in better ventilation.

The lowest levels of the home, such as basements, are most affected. But it is possible to have a problem even if you do not have a basement.

Why are Older Homes Affected?

While any home can have dangerous levels of radon, older homes are more susceptible due to the settling that has occurred over the lifetime of the structure. Older homes also do not have the benefit of new radon-resistant construction, which has become a standard requirement of new construction in many areas of the country.

Settling can create foundation cracks through which the gas can enter. Older homes are also usually not as airtight as newer homes, which also allows the gas to get inside the house. On the plus side, drafty homes may be able to move the gas out more efficiently than well-sealed homes.

Testing for Radon

Testing is the only way to determine if your house has unacceptably high levels of the gas. Test kits are available at hardware stores and from local health departments. They are generally inexpensive and easy to use. The kit will include instructions for use and explain what your results mean. There are two types of kits available. The short-term kit measures levels from 2 to 90 days and gives you a snapshot of radon levels in your home. The long-term kit remains in the house for more than 3 months and gives you an idea of your average levels for the year. Both kits are highly accurate and are the first step towards clearing your home of this dangerous gas.

Reducing Radon Levels

There are several things you can do to reduce your radon levels. The best course of action is to hire a professional mitigation contractor to handle the problem. These contractors should be licensed, certified or registered by the state. This is important because licensed contractors install mitigation techniques that meet state safety requirements.

There are several mitigation techniques and they will vary based on your home and the amount of gas in it. In general, mitigation seeks to either prevent the gas from entering the house in the first place (preferred method) or removing the gas once it has entered the home.

Radon Affects Home Sales

More and more homebuyers are asking about radon levels in homes. If you perform a test it’s a good idea to keep the test results so that they can be provided to buyers when and if you decide to sell in the future. Your test results can also be compared with tests taken in the future to see if the gas levels are changing or are steady in your home.

Radon exposure is a health hazard and can be scary when you don’t know what you’re dealing with. The best course of action is to test your home, determine if you have acceptable or unacceptable levels of the gas in your house and hire a radon mitigation contractor to help fix the problem.

Sheila Konecke of We Buy Ugly Houses Washington DC is an experienced home buyer operating in the greater Washington DC area, where she has helped numerous investors and owners with buying and selling homes.