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My husband and I have been going through all the needed inspections on the home we plan to buy. Today we received the radon test results back. Apparently, anthing over 4 is considered high and we have a 13.7. To remediate the problem will cost $2,000. Is high radon serious enough to walk away from a property? Has anyone experienced radon in their home?
You mean 1.37 pCi/L? Under 1.4 is considered "background" and you're likely to find 0.4pCi/L in the air outside!
I test radon in every home I've purchased... around here the level is always right around 1.4 pCi/L. The EPA "action level" is above 4 pCi/L, and even then you can treat it with some venting and get it below 1.5...
If the level is 14 pCi/L, then I would have some serious reservations.
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Our last house which we built in Ohio had similar radon levels. A few of the neighbors found this out and my main concern is resale value. We all got the builder to contract company to put in radon reduction units at his cost which corrected the problem. I think the radon levels can be higher in the OH/PA areas. My house had a basement and they installed a passive subslab suction unit (drilled hole in concrete to install pvc pipe about 6in dia. which went to roof), all my sump pumps were sealed along with any cracks. It was a non issue when we sold house. My view on radon levels is the standards are set based on a person being in house 24/7 for 20-30 years...few people stay in houses for this long a period. My radon levels did not cause me any health concern, just that it would be a resale (cost) issue when I sold home.
You mean 1.37 pCi/L? Under 1.4 is considered "background" and you're likely to find 0.4pCi/L in the air outside!
I test radon in every home I've purchased... around here the level is always right around 1.4 pCi/L. The EPA "action level" is above 4 pCi/L, and even then you can treat it with some venting and get it below 1.5...
If the level is 14 pCi/L, then I would have some serious reservations.
No, not 1.37pCi/L. The level is 13.7 pCi/L... very high in my book. Scary. I wonder why it's so high?
we had this problem with a house we sold in Kentucky with a basement. Radon installation cost about $650 which was a bargain compared to the $1-2k everyone told me it would cost. but the job was easy since it was a ranch with a direct open chase to the attic.
Is radon an issue in Charlotte in homes with crawl spaces? We are new to the area and looking to buy.
Radon remediation is quite effective and you should try to negotiate the $2,000 with the seller if you really want the house. Even if you walk away the seller will have to deal with the situation with the next buyer, so they should be willing to work with you.
With a house it is much easier than a condo. If they do not give you a credit I would walk away. Radon gas kills more people very year than drunk driving. Make sure the person who is doing the testing does not do the remediation!
13.7? Wow that is pretty high, well beyond the level where remediation should be done. I had this issue in my condo/rental property and I had a system put in. It cost a few thousand $$$, but that involved a lot of custom duct work etc.
Why a radon reading of over 4 pcL might actually be of benefit to you, the buyer.
As a Realtor, I am very familiar with radon "issues" and have seen readings of higher than 13.7 on more than one occasion. The EPA recommends remediation at or above 4 picocuries per liter (Canada is 200 Bq/m³ which is the equivalent of 5.4 pCi/L) Installing a Radon remediation system for radon gas in air should cost between $800 and usually no more than $1600 depending on the scope of work (and which company does it!) The job usually entails creating a small hole in the slab floor of your basement (or the lowest level of your home or business) and then, with the use of a small fan within a PVC pipe system, drawing air and gas from under the slab up through the pipe and outside. Once this simple system has been installed you can expect the radon in air level to go down to below the EPA guideline of 4 pCi/L.
Here's why I explain to my buyers that a radon test that is over 4 pCi/L can actually be a good thing for them; radon levels can fluctuate over years, months and even days. You, as a buyer, may test and find a level of 3.8 pCi/L for which the seller is not obligated to treat. You could test the same home just a month after purchasing the home and find a level of 13 pCi/L at which point remediation would be on your dime. Or you might not test at all and just be living with an elevated level of radon without knowing it. Better that you find a slightly elevated level and have the seller install a system. I know we are now a long way from when this initial question was asked but if you're reading this and wondering the same thing...be not afraid! 99 times out of 100 it's the sellers responsibility to remediate and once that's done you can move forward and buy in confidence with the comfort that you have a system in place.
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Why a radon reading of over 4 pcL might actually be of benefit to you, the buyer.
