Real Estate Agents

Here are several things to consider:

1. EVERY home has radon, the question is HOW MUCH?
   
2. The ONLY way to know IF a given house has problems with radon is to get it tested!
   
3. The testing needs to be done by a radon professional that is “CERTIFIED” to conduct radon testing by the NRPP (National Radon Proficiency Program) or the NRSB (National Radon Safety Board). Each of these organizations were approved by the EPA to “certify” individuals have demonstrated their knowledge and proficiency of all EPA testing protocols by PASSING a proficiency exam. The same requirements apply to those doing “Radon System Installations”. Each designation requires bi-annual continuing education requirements in order to KEEP your certification. Note: Simply being a “SC licensed home inspector” DOES NOT “qualify” you to conduct radon testing! Each test report submitted should state that the test was done in accordance will ALL EPA testing protocols and the tester should SIGN their name to it. HOW would someone know if their tests have met ALL the recommended requirements unless they have demonstrated their knowledge of them by becoming “certified”? Your clients are PAYING for test results that they use to make “Health AND Financial decisions” related to their purchase. It’s critical that these test results are ACCURATE! And being “certified” in radon testing or radon mitigation system installation is like being a licensed real estate agent. The LONGER you have sold houses, the more “knowledgeable” you become to best advise your clients! We have individuals with our company who have been certified and working with radon for almost 25 years! And not only do we KNOW how to perform a GOOD test to get accurate results, our experience in installing radon systems sometimes impacts WHERE we choose to deploy our test devices and “how many” we place to help determine the radon sources.
4. The results of a radon test can be affected by several things: 1) Where the test device(s) were deployed. 2) How long they were deployed. 3) The weather conditions during the test. 4) The settings on the HVAC system. 5) Whether or not “closed house conditions” were sufficiently maintained during the test.
5. The BEST type of test is when you have plenty of time. Most radon tests currently done for real estate transactions are unfortunately only done for 2 days! This is because that is the ABSOLUTE minimum amount of time the EPA requires for testing. But understand that ANY test performed is simply a “snapshot” of what existed in the house DURING the time tested. Radon fluctuates hour by hour, day by day, week by week, month by month. A test done at one point, might come back slightly “higher or lower” another time. That’s why the EPA says the BEST type of test is a LONG one! Because you LIVE in your house “year-round”, you ideally want to know what your “year-round risk” is and so you can forget “slightly high radon levels found that were taken over a short time period!” Unfortunately, real estate transactions DO NOT have the luxury of being able to wait for year long tests. That is why it is “critical” that the tests are done FOR them are done properly. We have some proven strategies we would LOVE to share with you and your company as to HOW to best address radon testing on your transactions.
6. The test equipment used for a test is critical. Most real estate agents AND most home inspectors “assume” that one test monitor is the same as the other. However, that couldn’t be FURTHER from the truth! Is a Kia the same thing as a Mercedes? Each radon monitor generates its test reports based on its “sensitivity”. The “entry level units” that many home inspectors use (Sun Nuclear 1027/1028) only take 2-4 counts (samples) per hour. The higher end continuous monitors that radon companies use take upwards of 19 counts and UP! The more counts a device takes the MORE accurate. This is critical if tests ONLY run for 48 hours. The 2 or 4 radon samples “grabbed” per hour might be on the HIGH side and the average between them will be high. Whereas, if these same sample were averaged with 17 (or more) other samples, the result would be more accurate and not “weighted” to what only two particles generated. That is why the LONGER a test runs the more data is received and the more accurate the results will be! 
7. It is advisable to conduct testing as SOON as possible if the house is being sold. Ideally, a WEEK-long test should be used, (which is 3 times more accurate than 2 day tests). If elevated levels come back LOW, then you will have a “certified test report” from us that can be passed along later to your buyer. We also provide a “transferable year guarantee certificate” on our test that says that if we report the levels to be LOW and its later tested in the first year and it comes back HIGH, we will FIX it! If elevated levels are found, it can be quickly addressed so won’t be a potential issue that could make some skittish buyers pull out!