Radon In The Quad Cities real estate
Lately I've been hearing several radio commercials produced by the EPA about Radon in real estate. Over the past 2-3 years radon has become a hot topic within the Quad City real estate industry. However, I would estimate that 40% of home buyers out there do not yet know the real effects of radon, let alone what it is.
Radon is a colorless, tasteless, odorless radioactive gas that comes from the soil and can seep into your basement or the lowest livable space in the home (such as crawl spaces or even if your home has no basement). Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. The EPA estimates that radon claims over 20,000 lives annually. National statistics say that one in fifteen homes in the nation have unacceptable levels of radon. In Iowa its even higher. In fact, Iowa is one of the worst states with nearly 60% of homes exceeding the epa recommended safe level of 4 pico curries per liter (pCi/L).
Homes with new radon mitigation systems have increased significantly. The mitigation (removal) process is fairly simple. It involves blocking points of entry in the basement or lowest space in the home and venting the areas to the outside using an active or passive circulation system. A new system is very unnoticeable as the finished product looks just like a regular plumbing stack. In an active system a fan is installed outside which pulls the air from under the slab of cement through the plastic pipe and then outside where it dissipates safely. The fan outside is the only real noticeable feature. The passive system does not use a fan to pull the air. Rather, the air naturally escapes via the plastic piping.
How do I test for radon?
There are a couple ways you can have your home tested for radon. One, is to buy a kit at either Menards, Lowes or Home Depot. Its a do-it-yourself test thats very easy to use and understand. However, the results can be skewed sometimes and not 100% accurate. The second, and most accurate is to higher a certified radon inspector. They will place a box in the lowest level of your home and leave it there for 48hrs. I think the box will take a reading every hour to determine an average level. This test will run you about $150. A good local tester is Mike Petersen with Petersen Home Inspections, 563.340.5379.
What is the cost?
If your home tests higher than the epa's action level of 4pCi/L you should mitigate your home. A typical installation may run between $900 to $1200. Visit http://www.idph.state.ia.us/eh/common/pdf/radon/mit.pdf for a list of radon specialists in Iowa.
Radon is a colorless, tasteless, odorless radioactive gas that comes from the soil and can seep into your basement or the lowest livable space in the home (such as crawl spaces or even if your home has no basement). Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. The EPA estimates that radon claims over 20,000 lives annually. National statistics say that one in fifteen homes in the nation have unacceptable levels of radon. In Iowa its even higher. In fact, Iowa is one of the worst states with nearly 60% of homes exceeding the epa recommended safe level of 4 pico curries per liter (pCi/L).
Homes with new radon mitigation systems have increased significantly. The mitigation (removal) process is fairly simple. It involves blocking points of entry in the basement or lowest space in the home and venting the areas to the outside using an active or passive circulation system. A new system is very unnoticeable as the finished product looks just like a regular plumbing stack. In an active system a fan is installed outside which pulls the air from under the slab of cement through the plastic pipe and then outside where it dissipates safely. The fan outside is the only real noticeable feature. The passive system does not use a fan to pull the air. Rather, the air naturally escapes via the plastic piping.
How do I test for radon?
There are a couple ways you can have your home tested for radon. One, is to buy a kit at either Menards, Lowes or Home Depot. Its a do-it-yourself test thats very easy to use and understand. However, the results can be skewed sometimes and not 100% accurate. The second, and most accurate is to higher a certified radon inspector. They will place a box in the lowest level of your home and leave it there for 48hrs. I think the box will take a reading every hour to determine an average level. This test will run you about $150. A good local tester is Mike Petersen with Petersen Home Inspections, 563.340.5379.
What is the cost?
If your home tests higher than the epa's action level of 4pCi/L you should mitigate your home. A typical installation may run between $900 to $1200. Visit http://www.idph.state.ia.us/eh/common/pdf/radon/mit.pdf for a list of radon specialists in Iowa.
This is really a very informative blog nice content also.It makes one think and look the other side of the story Thanks for sharing your views on the topic.
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