Get a Radon Inspection When You Buy a Union County NC Home
A radon inspection is one of the elements of a complete home inspection and should be considered when you buy a Union County NC home. The NC Offer to Purchase and Contract form even has standard language providing for a radon inspection and creating a process for requesting mitigation if elevated levels are found.
The truth is that radon is rarely an issue in Union County home inspections. The reason: real estate agents don't emphasize the radon issue so buyers usually don't inspect for it. I just experienced my first elevated radon results from a home inspection in over twenty years of selling real estate in Union County NC. I learned a lot about radon from the process and hope the story of mitigating radon in this home will help educate you too.
First, some background...
What is radon?
According to the EPA, radon is a radioactive gas that you cannot smell, see or taste. It comes from the decay of uranium in soil and rocks. If it gets trapped within the walls of a home, it can accumulate and cause lung cancer. It can also be found in well water and escape when showers and faucets are in use. The EPA believes that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking.
How does the home inspector test for radon?
Most home inspectors will set two canisters at the lowest level of the home to test for radon. The canisters will be left in an undisturbed area for two days and then retrieved for reading. They use two canisters to ensure that both are working correctly. If the results from the two canisters are within 10%, then it is assumed that the reading is accurate. Some inspectors use a machine that will sample radon levels in the home periodically throughout the day. Both methods of testing are considered valid. If the results show radon levels at 4.0 picocuries per liter or higher, then mitigation to bring the levels down is recommended.
Mitigating radon at a Union County NC home...
My recent radon experience took place at a brand new home with a finished basement. Set out in the basement, the radon canisters both showed radon levels of 5.0. Andy Penning, a North Carolina certified Radon Mitigation Provider, met the builder and me at the home to discuss mitigation options. What Andy recommended for this home was the installation of a "sub-slab depressurization" system. To install this system, Andy created a hole in the slab in the mechanical room of the basement and installed a perforated four inch PVC pipe under most of the length of the slab to suction the radon out. A vent pipe and a fan were installed to vent the radon to the outdoors. After installation, Andy tested radon levels again in the basement and found that they have been reduced to 2.0.
The photos with this article show the system inside the basement and on the outside of the home. The pipe inside has an indicator showing that the system is working. The fan is located outside and because the radon has to be vented above the roof, the pipe is run through a downspout to conceal it. The fan is very quiet and cannot be heard unless you are standing next to it outside. The system is warranted if Andy checks it once a year much like a termite bond. The cost was less than $2000 for a basement of approximately 3000 sq.ft.
What I have learned...
I will recommend that my real estate buyer clients include radon as part of the inspection process, particularly if they are purchasing a basement home. The home inspector said that he finds radon in about 1 in 6 basement homes that he tests in the Charlotte NC region. Andy Penning discussed several neighborhoods where many homes have elevated radon levels. Radon apparently is more common than thought here and should be a part of the home inspection process.
Related home inspection articles:
Buy a Union County NC Home: Understanding the Home Inspection Process
Buy a Union County NC Home: Take a Virtual Home Inspection
Want to Know More About Buying or Selling Real Estate in Union County NC?
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About the author: Carol Fox of Allen Tate Realtors is a veteran real estate agent who has been helping Union County NC home buyers for over twenty years.
Copyright 2008. Carol Fox. All rights reserved. "Get a Radon Inspection When You Buy a Union County NC Home"