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Nothing is more important than protecting our family’s health. But there’s a danger hiding in many of our homes. It’s in the air you’re breathing and you can’t see it, smell it, or taste it. Nevertheless, this hidden danger could be silently damaging the health of everyone who lives in your home. Keep reading and I’ll fill you in on what the danger is, what you need to know about it, and how to get a free do-it-yourself test kit from the State of Missouri, so you can protect your family’s health.
With all of us spending more time cooped up in our homes during the pandemic, it’s more important than ever to pay attention to indoor air quality. One of the most common health hazards in our homes is radon gas. Radon is a tasteless, odorless, but deadly radioactive gas found to some degree in most homes.
It’s a byproduct of the natural decay of radioactive elements such as uranium which are in the soil and rocks underneath our homes. It enters your house through basements, crawlspaces, foundation cracks, floors, and walls. According to the American Lung Association radon is the #1 environmental cause of cancer deaths.
The EPA says exposure to radon causes approximately 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year. It’s the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and is the second leading cause of lung cancer overall. Exposure to radon increases the lung cancer risk for smokers 10 times that of non-smokers because of the synergistic effects of radon and smoking.
Radon can affect cats, dogs, and other small animals in the same way it does humans, by giving them lung cancer. The idea of one of our animal friends getting sick is not a pleasant thought, but often people don’t even know about the hazard of radon in their homes until their pet gets sick. Recently, I heard from a friend in St Louis whose son lost his dog to lung cancer. So he decided to test his house for radon and guess what? The readings were high and he needs to have a mitigation system installed. He had no idea he had been exposing his dog and himself to a dangerous environment.
Radon is measured in picoCuries per liter of air (pCi/L). When average levels reach 4 pCi/L or above, the EPA recommends homeowners take immediate action to reduce the radon gas in their home to safer levels. The World Population Review Website, indicates average radon levels in Missouri are 4.3 pCi/L. So there is a good chance your home could have an issue with elevated levels of radon gas. I’ve been selling residential real estate in Columbia Missouri and the surrounding area since 1994. In my experience, approximately one in five of the homes I have helped sell tested high for radon.
So how can you determine if the air in your home is safe to breathe? Testing is the only way to know if your home has high levels of radon. And the EPA recommends testing for radon every couple of years because radon levels can change over time. Many home inspectors have sophisticated electronic radon testing equipment. And it’s definitely a good idea to have a professional test for radon when purchasing a home, because the test can easily be completed within the inspection timeline in the contract. The typical cost in our area for a professional radon test is somewhere between $150 and $200.
However, you can save money by testing your home yourself. The State of Missouri will supply residents with one FREE radon test kit per year. All you have to do is go to the radon section of the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services website, then click on the link for the radon test kit. Fill in your information and in a few weeks you’ll receive your test kit in the mail. Complete the test, mail it back to the lab, and in a few more weeks you’ll get the results back. So you can see because of the longer timeline the free test kit is not a practical way to test for radon when you’re purchasing a home. However, it is a great way to test your home for radon when you’re already living there. According to Mark Kelsey, owner of American Home Inspection Service the free radon test kits are just as accurate as his professional test equipment when used correctly.
Once you receive your test results you’ll know whether you should take action or not. The good news is radon gas levels can usually be successfully reduced to safe levels by having a radon mitigation system installed. Locally the cost for a professionally installed radon mitigation system is somewhere between $1,000 and $1500 depending upon how it needs to be configured for a particular home.
If you have questions, or need a referral to professional radon mitigation contractors or home inspectors, I’ll be happy to help. You can use the contact form on this post or call or text me at 573-268-3622.
Learn more about the hazards of radon gas at the following websites:
Environmental Protections Agency – Health Risk of Radon
My name is Steve Strawn. I have been a full-time Realtor for 30 years, and I’m dedicated to helping you meet all your real estate goals. Call or email me today!
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