January is Radon Awareness Month – Get Your Home Tested For Only $100!

Image credit: Shane Lyle, Geology Extension

Kansas Geological Survey

January has been designated as Radon Awareness Month by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. But as a homeowner, do you even know what radon is? 

I caught up with my good friend John Clason with Crown Home Inspections to learn a little bit more.  In honor of Radon Awareness Month, John isn’t just inspecting homes for their radon levels, he’s doing it at a discounted price!

Before I let you in on the discount details, let’s explore what radon is and why your home may need to be tested.

As mentioned in a previous Team Ohlde blog post, radon is a silent and odorless gas that could leak into homes from the natural decay of uranium present in different types of soil. Radon contains cancer-causing alpha particles that are drawn from parched soil through draught-driven cracks in home foundation. Believe it or not, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, only behind smoking. The EPA estimates that approximately 22,000 people die each year from lung cancer caused by radon.

So as you can infer, having high radon levels in your home can be extremely dangerous. But the even scarier part is that it’s almost impossible to tell what radon levels your home has unless you do a radon test.  A radon tests includes a 48-hour moderation of the home. John at Crown Home Inspections uses an electric continue radon monitor that tells the radon level for each hour during the test and provides an overall reading at the end.

After the test, homeowners receive an overview of their home’s radon levels. Any home with a radon level of 4.0 picocuries per liter of air or higher should act immediately.  Luckily, it’s easy to fix any high levels of radon.

What’s the fix exactly?  A radon mitigation system can be installed in a home in about 3-4 hours.

As the cliché phrase goes, it’s better to be safe than sorry! Take the month of January to schedule a radon testing for your home from Crown Home Inspections for just $100 (a $25 discount off the regular price through February 15, 2014!).  Visit Crown Home Inspections website to learn more.

Want more help with keeping your home safe and in shape? Check out my list of local services providers! Click here. 

Kansas City Radon Levels on the Rise—What Should You Do?

There’s no denying it—the weather in Kansas City has been out of control.  One week we’re boasting 80 degree weather and the next, there’s a blizzard.  But something that we may not have noted is the severe drought that the KC metro region is currently experiencing.  As a matter of fact, we are about to enter month 21 of a large Midwestern drought.  What does that mean for you?  Radon problems.

What is radon?

Radon is a silent (and odorless) gas that can leak into homes from the natural decay of uranium present in all different types of soil.  Radon contains cancer-causing alpha particles that are drawn from parched soil through drought-driven cracks in home foundations.  The US Environmental Protection Agency has linked indoor radon to 20,000 lung-cancer deaths annually. 

Is radon in my home?

You are breathing in radon right now.  And we’ve all been breathing it in since we were born.  It’s a natural process that our bodies have learned to cope with.  It’s when we breathe in too much radon over a long period of time that we need to be weary of.  The homes with the highest levels of radon:

• Have fractures in the foundation, which allows gases to travel through underground channels
• Leave windows open often
• Utilize attic fans
• Have high traffic in and out of the home
• Are geographically located where droughts are prevalent 

Other factors that could affect the circulation of radon gas include:

• Soils and basement footings that shift
• New furnace
• New air conditioning system
• Altered plumbing
• Improved insulation
• Structural additions to a home 

Kansas City radon levels

So if radon levels rise when a drought occurs, why is Kansas City experiencing such high levels?  After all, there’s plenty of wet snow on the ground!  As a matter of fact, despite the snow piles that have taken over the city, no handful of wet-weather events can cancel scientists’ predictions on the drought and radon levels in Kansas City. 

According to the Kansas City Star, KC is one of the nation’s hottest spots for indoor radon levels above what federal authorities consider safe.  Between 33% and 45% of Kansas City homes show radon levels higher than 4 picocuries per liter (the average home tests at a safe 1.3 pCi/L). 

Preventing & testing radon levels

How can you prevent high levels of radon in your home?  It’s actually quite simple!  First and foremost, it’s important to note that you should test your home approximately every 2 years.  The best time to test for radon is in the winter, when a home is sealed up and the furnaces are churning (so why not do it today?). 

In addition to bi-annual testing, the Kansas and Missouri governments are taking action to fight off the chances of radon sickness.  A bill introduced this year in the Kansas Legislature will make radon testing mandatory for every home sale.  This bill will also allow the state to compare the reported levels to health problems diagnosed in residents.  Currently, Missouri is not introducing a bill to require radon testing. 

So how much is this going to cost me?

A DIY radon testing kit can be purchased for less than $10 at your local home improvement store.  Once you have purchased a kit, you may need an additional $10-$30 for lab tests.  If you’d like professional advice, most services cost around $100-$200 in the Kansas City area.  If you decide to hire a professional, look for companies certified by the state of Kansas for radon inspection (Missouri does not have this requirement). 

If you find that your home has over 4 pCi/L, it is time to shop for a mitigation piping system.  These pipes, including installation, will run at about $700-$1,400.  Always remember—it’s better to be safe than sorry!