by PN Schiavone

Created on: September 22, 2008

OK, I hear you. Despite the information that has been provided through such sources as:

U.S. environmental Protection Agency www.epa.gov/iaq/radon
World Health Organization
National Academy of Sciences
American Lung Association www.lungusa.org
US Department of Health and Human Services
The American Association of Radon Scientists and technologists www.aarst.org

You believe that radon is not a problem with respect to your home. If you are planning to buy a home and sell in a five year time frame, you should at least understand the following. More homes are being tested for Radon. In five years, the amount of testing will only increase. The U.S. EPA has adopted an action level of 4pCi/l as its action level. The state of Illinois has adopted the same standard. If a home, during a real estate transaction, tests over the action level, it becomes a disclosure issue. The seller has to tell any future potential buyer of the elevated Radon level. If you test the house that you are going to buy and it is over the action level, you can ask for the seller to mitigate or give you credit for the cost of mitigation. The average mitigation is about $1500.00. Also, note that about 1 out of 3 homes in the Chicago land area test over the action level.

We should note here that a home that test over the action level did not fail the Radon test. This point is important, the radon test is not a pass or fail test. No one really knows how dangerous radon is and in what amounts, therefore an action level has been established that allows for mitigation wihtout saying the home is dangerous to human health. Finding the danger zone will take years of research.

So let's review the economics. When you buy a home the cost of a Radon Test is about $200.00 depending on the amount of monitors needed to test the home. There is a one in three chance the house will test over the action level and need mitigation. When you sell, your house will likely be tested for Radon. By then the cost of mitigation will be about $2800.00 on average. Now you have a 1 in 3 chance of spending $2800.00.

If you do not believe the science you should believe the economics of your decision. The cost of not testing will only increase over time. The cost of mitigation is too high not to test. I do urge you to go to the above resources and get the real facts.

Lastly, your home inspector cannot with a visual inspection tell you if you need to test for radon. Radon is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas. It is also found in all types of homes. Homes with basements, crawlspaces, and even slab on grade have all tested over the action level. Radon has been found in town homes also. The only way to know about your radon level in the home is to test.

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