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Radon testing

Fri, 10/14/2011 - 19:13 — DonnieBentley
Information about Radon testing
Radon is one of those words that really only means one thing:
 
 \ˈrā-ˌdän\
: a heavy radioactive gaseous element formed by the decay of radium.
 
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is present in many areas around our country. The problem with radon is that it may be present inside the house you are buying, and the only way to know is to test for it.
Radon tends to be more prevalent in mountainous areas, so wherever you are buying a home has a lot to do with whether you should have your home tested or not. Even the type of home you are buying has something to do with the possibility of radon.
There are maps of the entire US broken down by States available from your home inspector or you can find them on the web to determine if you are buying a house in an area that may have high radon levels.
Everyone should do their own research and reading on the topic, the EPA states that according to their estimates; radon is the Number one cause of lung cancer in Non-smokers.
Houses with basements that are built partially underground and slab constructed homes are more likely to have radon than a house with a crawl space, but just because you are buying a house with a crawl space doesn’t mean the house will not have elevated radon levels, you will still need to test to be sure. 
 There are several approved short testing methods that home inspectors use; the stand alone electric continuous monitors have one distinct advantage to a home buyer involved in a Real Estate contract; you can get the test results in 48 hours.
Most of the other test methods like the charcoal canisters, and liquid scintillation test kits have to be sent to a lab and wait for the results which may vary from one day to up to a week.
The definition of elevated radon inside a home by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a radon test result of 4.0 pCi/l or higher
Here are a few questions about radon you should talk with your home inspector about
·        Are elevated radon levels are commonly found in this area?”
·        Can you test the house or do I need to call on someone else to test it?” 
·        Should I buy a home without getting it tested?
If you choose to get your home tested and discover elevated Radon levels it is something that can be readily corrected by installing a radon mitigation system, which can be installed in almost any type of structure at a reasonable cost.

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