Radon and New Construction Real Estate
The popular new real estate trend appears to be knocking down older homes in need of repair and building new. This trend eliminates many concerns inside the home that plagues older homes such as older heating systems, horse hair plaster, lead paint, etc. yet there can be a host of new concerns to be aware of.
With new construction, homes are tighter with state of the art insulation, energy efficiency, smart home potential with built-in electronics, reduced maintenance, green building products and the beauty of being able to customize your new space.
Building materials, depending on where they are sourced, may contain radioactive materials in them. Some materials may contain naturally-occurring radioactive elements like uranium, radium and thorium. These affected materials can be concrete, gypsum, sandstone, granite, natural stone and others. The resulting decay product of the breakdown of these elements is radon.
Ask your builder if any of the building materials used in the new construction contain these elements and if they followed EPA Building Codes for a Radon-Resistant New Construction. In MA in 2015, radon requirements were introduced into the state’s building code. Check your state to identify what the guidelines are.
New construction can address potential radon in a home by installing a sub-slab passive system that can easily be activated if the radon levels are elevated noted by testing. Testing is the only way to know if elevated radon levels exist. If elevated, a passive system is activated by installing a fan used to draw the radon out of the home from under the slab. Re-test post fan installation or if there is no passive system in place, re-test after a sub-slab depressurization system is installed.
Test Your Home…Protect Your Family!