Question:
During the home inspection
prior to purchase, a radon test was ordered and elevated concentrations were found
above 4 pCi/L. Is this a concern?
Answer:
The EPA has determined
that long term exposure to elevated levels of radon (above 4.0 pCi/l) is a
potential cause of lung cancer. However, If you like the house,
radon shouldn't be a reason to back out of the deal! Techniques have been developed
that when utilized by "certified" mitigation contractors can ALWAYS
reduce the radon level concentrations to below 4.0 pCi/L. You may work
out an agreement with the seller to fix it before you move in. Regardless of who
gets it fixed, you can go ahead with the purchase,
confident that once a contract with a certified mitigator has been signed to fix the
problem, it can be scheduled and performed after you move in and are 'settled'.
Question:
My client's home came back at 10.4 pCi.
However, I know that the house has been sitting closed up and vacant for several
months. Surely this affected the reading being "high"!
Answer:
It
"sounds" like it would make sense, however, but this simply isn't the
case. Radon gas is made up of "living radioactive particles that have
a "life" once they are emitted into the air (2-4 days). At the
end of this time, they "die". As the particles die, they are continuously
replaced by other ones. Otherwise, the radon levels in a room could
conceivably be in the "hundreds". Even if you open up all the
windows and doors and completely air the house out, after about 24-48 hours,
the original radon levels would be achieved again.
Question
Some
houses I have sold have had problems with radon, some haven't. Why is
this?
Answer:
There are a number of things that affect
how significant radon is in a home. These include: 1) how much radon
exists in the earth beneath the home, 2) how permeable (soft) the soil is to
allow the radon to move through it, 3) how "tight" the house is, (if
it holds in heat and cold well, it will retain anything else there, 4) whether
or not there are places for the radon to enter the home: ex: cracks in the slab,
plumbing piping openings, gaps around the perimeter of the foundation, floor
drains, cinder block walls, crawl space flooring.
Question:
When is the best time to test for radon?
Answer:
Unfortunately,
most radon tests are performed just prior to real estate closings when there
isn't much time. These tests are generally 48-96 hours in length.
They are performed in an effort to determine whether or not a home has an
elevated level of radon (above the EPA standard of 4.0 pCi) (picocuries per
liter). The unfortunate side to these short term tests is that they are
more subject to "fluctuations" since radon varies in its level of
intensity and as a result of "air movement" in the house. The
BEST time to test for radon is "when you have plenty of time". A
30 to 90 day test will generate a more accurate picture of what the real radon
average in the home is versus simply what is encountered during the normal 48-96
hour test. At Radon Solutions, we tell real estate professionals that if a house
currently has a
radon problem, it won't "go away"! So recommending to their client to
initiate a minimum 30 day test when the house goes on the market may help avoid
the potential for a "borderline test result" to mandate that the
seller install a radon abatement system. If the house ends up selling
"prior" to the 30 days time period, money could be set aside in escrow
in case work is later needed to be performed. But the need would be
determined by the long term test results NOT the short term tests.
Question:
Do you have to be "certified"
to perform radon test measurement and interpretation?
Answer:
Unlike 11 other states to date, there is currently no law in the state of
South Carolina requiring those individuals who perform radon testing to be have
demonstrated an acceptable proficiency level for doing so. However, that
being said, realtors and homeowners should understand that there is more to a radon test
than simply placing a "test kit" in a home. Each test should be
performed in accordance with all the EPA's testing protocols. By not doing
so, you run the risk of a test coming back with inaccurate readings. Only
those individuals who have passed an examination in the EPA test measurement and
interpretation protocols are "qualified" to perform a radon test for a
real estate transaction. Just as home inspectors are licensed to conduct
home inspections, individuals conducting radon testing should be certified to do
so by either "The National Environmental Health Association, ( NEHA
)
or by "The National Radon Safety Board, ( NRSB
)".
Lists of certified individuals are displayed on the websites noted for each of
these organizations.
Question:
What if the seller refuses to
his/her house to be tested?
Answer:
Testing a home for radon may done either prior to or after the time of purchase.
Generally, most sellers should have no reservations about a test being performed
if the buyer is willing to pay for it. However, reservations about having
a radon test performed in their house "could" cloud the sale!
Question
Should the same company that installed the mitigation system perform the
follow-up testing to confirm success?
Answer:
Section 17.5 of the EPA's Mitigation standards state that the mitigation
contractor should at least "recommend" to the client to get an independent
follow-up test to avoid a "perceived" conflict of interest. On
real estate transactions, you should always use someone that is
"certified" in Radon Test Measurement and Interpretation of the
results.
Question:
Are you sure that
radon problem can be fixed?
Answer:
Contractors trained in EPA mitigation
standards can install successful radon mitigation systems. In talking to mitigation
contractors, request a written proposal that includes guarantees of resulting concentrations
that are less than 4.0 pCi/L.
Question:
What things should I write
into the contract offer?
Answer:
1) Be specific
on what is an acceptable reading.
2) Consider who will be doing the
pre-sale radon testing (are they certified to do so?) and at whose expense it
will be conducted?
3) If the radon readings are
elevated, will mitigation be acceptable? Who will pay for the work?
4) If radon mitigation is decided upon, who will perform the work?
Are they certified by NEHA or the NRSB? (Any company since 1998 stating
that they are "EPA-listed", "EPA-licensed" or
"EPA-approved" is falsely misrepresenting themselves and is subject to
de-certification).
5) Will the
individual that is certified to handle the mitigation be "on-site" for the
during of your job in case problems arise or will the work be handled by
"uncertified sub-contractors"?
6) Do they carry General
Liability Insurance and can they produce a insurance certificate to verify this?
7) To avoid a potential conflict
of interest, insist that follow-up testing be conducted by an independent
individual that is "certified" to perform Radon Test Measurement and
Test Interpretation" by either NEHA or the NRSB.
8) Who will determine the success of the mitigation system?
9) Does their proposal include a "checklist" of all EPA required
items?
10) How and when will the
contractor be paid?
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