September 21, 2007

Radon and Your Home

By Kate Davey
Special to the Times

Radon is an odorless, radioactive gas produced by the natural breakdown of uranium found in rock, soil and water. If radon particles get trapped in your lungs, damage can be caused to your lung tissue. According to the Surgeon General, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. Radon can leak into your house through the basement, crawl space or your well water. It is also emitted by some building materials, such as natural stone and rock.

The only way to determine if your home contains radon is to have it tested. You can hire a local radon monitoring company or you can conduct a low-cost, do-it-yourself test available from the National Safety Council.

There are two kinds of do-it-yourself test kits. Because a home's average radon level can vary from day to day and season to season, the long-term testing method is the most accurate. It can take anywhere between 90 days to 1 year. They cost approximately $20-25 per kit, including postage for the returned results. For quicker results, the short-term carbon detector tests cost approximately $10-20 and takes between 2 to 90 days.

If dangerous radon levels are detected, the problem can be fixed and is usually not too costly. Make sure to hire a certified radon professional.

To receive your do-it-yourself radon testing kit, contact the National Safety Council at (800) 557-2366 or http://www.nsc.org/ehc/radon.htm. The Environmental Protection Agency also runs the National Radon Information Line at (800)-SOS-RADON (1-800-767-7236), which can provide you with additional information about the risks, testing and a list of certified radon professionals.

I trust you've found this information helpful. If you need the recommendation of a certified radon specialist, email me. As your trusted advisor on real estate matters, I am committed to serving as a resource whenever the need arises. As always, it is my goal to ensure that your home owning experience is all you desire. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help make that a reality. And don't forget to call or email me when you have a real estate or home-related question.

Kate Davey & Associates offers a full array of Real Estate Services and information on every facet of the Real Estate Industry. From Selling to Buying a Home or from Home Improvement to Home Safety, Kate Davey & Associates provides a full concierge service. If you have a specific question, please call Kate at 408-497-5283 or email your question to: info@katedaveyteam.com.