My Real Estate Agent Said My Radon is Fine…
You found your dream home, had a home inspection which was unremarkable and the home inspector set a short term passive radon test. The test was in place for 48 hours with closed house conditions adhered to. Your real estate agent collected the passive test, sent it to the lab and called you to tell you the results are perfectly fine. OK, wait a minute…who collected the test? And what does your agent mean by the results are FINE!
Let’s get serious here…the professional who sets the test is the one responsible and should then collect the test. Standard protocol notes if the home inspector does not have time to collect the test when they are being paid good money for it, they should not be setting the test. A lot can happen in between setting the test and the final results. It is the home inspector’s responsibility to complete the job, have the results sent to the buyer and explain the results. Most real estate agents know radon can cause lung cancer, yet in my experience both as an NRPP Certified Radon Measurement Provider as well as a Bonded Real Estate Broker for 35+ years, most agents have very little understanding about exactly what radon is and how it affects the body. Agent awareness is growing due to buyer demand of increased knowledge.
When your agent told you the results are fine, what exactly does that mean? EPA action level is 4.0pCi/L however the EPA has concern between 2.0 and 4.0pCi/L. WHO, World Health Organization, says to fix your home at 2.7pCi/L. If your levels are within the 2.0 and 4.0pCi/L range, you may want to consider installing a radon mitigation system. Make sure you ask what the radon levels are specifically and if you have questions that require in depth answers, call a professional radon measurement provider or call a firm that handles radon testing to explain in further detail so you can make an intelligent decision. Without a specific level, FINE is not an adequate answer when spending the most amount of money you will ever spend at one time.
Test Your Home…Protect Your Family