Real Estate Transactions

Follow the Science!

That has frequently been the "mantra" in our world today when it comes to our health. That advice is also "critical" in dealing with radon gas! There have been "national standards" and protocols developed by the EPA in addressing it. Radon is a naturally occurring, inert, radioactive gas produced by the breakdown of uranium deep inside the earth. As uranium, (U), decays, it turns into another solid called "radium", (Ra). Further decay over 1,000's of years produced a gas called "radon", (Rn). Radon is actually heavier than air. It's not like "helium" that rises naturally. Radon only moves when a "vacuum" draws it! Across the earth, Mother Nature's atmosphere places a vacuum on the ground slowing drawing radon and other soil gases to the surface. When a structure is built on the ground upon it, radon becomes trapped. However, the air handler inside a building can create a negative pressure, (a vacuum), when it draws air inside that will be conditioned "warm" or "cool". The vacuum that is placed on a structure will often allow radon to be drawn inside if: 1) There is a source present under the slab or in the crawl space 2) The soil is porous. 3) There are points of entry: a) Cracks in the slab. b) Around plumbing pipes, c) Around floor drains, d) Wall cavities and e) Crawl space floors.

The EPA has determined that long term exposure to elevated levels of radon (above 4 picocuries) is a health concern, just like smoking cigarettes is. Both can cause lung cancer! Behind smoking, radon is the 2nd leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. and 1st among "non-smokers". The government doesn't "mandate" that you stop smoking NOR do they mandate that you test your house for radon or install a mitigation system if high levels are found. As the "Environmental PROTECTION Agency", the EPA has simply made "health recommendations" to consumers about how to deal with radon, But its ultimately up to each person or family in how they are going to go about addressing it!

It needs to be noted that there are NO LEGAL REQUIREMENTS for radon levels. As stated before, the EPA "recommends" that you take action to lower the levels in your home if they are at or above "4 picocuries". But it should be mentioned that they also say to "consider taking action" if your levels are between 2 and 4 picocuries. This is because, like smoking cigarettes, there is no "safe level" for radon! It's all "accumulative". There is an associated risk with whatever your level is! The more often you smoke, (and how much you smoke), the higher your health risks. The longer you live in a home with elevated levels, (and how high they are), the higher your health risks. With smoking, if you cut back or quit, you minimize your risks. With radon, taking action to lower the levels in your home reduces your potential risks. It should be noted that the length of time you are exposed to radon and how high the levels are make a difference! For instance, if you live in a house with a radon level of 40 picocuries for a year, you actually obtain "less risk" than if you are in a house for 20 years with a radon level of 4! When installing a radon mitigation system we are sometimes asked by homesellers what about the exposure they have received in the house while they have lived there? We have to unfortunately reply that its again like smoking! If they smoke for 20 years and then "quit", that doesn't negate what has impacted their lungs over those 20 years! This fact just highlights the need for EVERY homeowner to get their home tested as SOON as they can and if elevated levels are found to take action to lower them and not wait until their house goes on the market years later!

All that being said, we think that its important to understand how to "best address radon levels on a real estate transaction". Over our 20 years in business, we've seen some very "stressed" real estate closings mainly because agents or buyers or sellers didn't understand radon or they let "uncertified individuals" perform their tests without being "proficient" to "interpret" the results. There is "risk-wise" LITTLE difference between 3.9 and 4.1, but there is ONE HECK of a LOT of difference as to who does or doesn't have to pay for a system that might need to be installed there. It's been MY experience that most sides of a transaction want to do the "right thing. The seller wants to spend a little money as possible to fix the problem so they can sell the house and get on with their lives. The buyer wants to make sure the house they are buying is safe AND that they have assurances that it has been fixed correctly, (usually in the form of a "Guarantee Certificate" that is "transferable" to them at or before the closing!)