Welcome to “At Home With Heidi & Sandy.” We have had several calls on radon: Do we have radon in our area? Does our home have radon? How do we test our home for radon? What is Radon? This month we are going to share some educational information on radon, what it is and should you be worried? Settle in, enjoy and thanks for reading “At Home with Heidi & Sandy”.
Heidi: It seems that radon is everywhere. As defined by the EPA, “Radon is a radioactive gas. It comes from the natural decay of uranium that is found in nearly all soils. It typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation. A home traps radon inside, where it can build up. Any home may have a radon problem.” Sandy, what are safe and acceptable levels of radon?
Sandy: A safe level of radon would be none. Radon is invisible. Radon gas can seep into a building or home and accumulate to concentrations that according to the EPA “any radon exposure has some risk of causing lung cancer.” Radon cannot be detected by our senses: you cannot see, smell or taste radon.
Heidi: I read that the Radon Act 51, passed by Congress set the natural outdoor level of radon gas (0.4pCi/L) as the target radon level for indoor radon levels and two-thirds of all homes nationally exceeded this level. The EPA set an action level of 4 pCi/L. At or above this level of radon, the EPA recommends that you take corrective measures to reduce your exposure to radon gas.
Sandy: Radon enters a building or home through the foundation, basement, crawlspace or slab floor. As radon rises inside, it is diluted with air that leaks through walls, windows and other openings and therefore, radon levels are typically highest in the lowest portion of the home.
Sandy: There are no average radon levels for a specific city, state or region and it does not matter if your neighbor’s home was tested and was high or low, because results for your home may be completely different. Radon generally moves a distance of only 20 to 30 feet through the soil to a building and soils can vary from building to building even within the same neighborhood.
Heidi: Sandy, I heard there are two basic types of radon gas testing devices. A homeowner can hire a professional to perform the test or doesn’t YCCA have a FREE DIY test kit available?
Sandy: Yes Heidi, if a homeowner desires to radon test a home to evaluate potential risk, a home test kit will do the job and YCCA does have a supply of these FREE test kits available. Just call my office and we will gladly set one aside for you. The instructions for performing the test must be followed carefully and are included with the test kit.
Heidi: When we drive, every day we are subjecting ourselves to a potential accident. When we walk or go outside, we are exposing ourselves to ultraviolet light and increasing our risk of skin cancer. People smoke, eat poorly and engage in activities that are dangerous. While no level of radon gas is completely safe, radon is one of those risks that we all take. We can choose how we drive, what we eat, if we smoke or not; however, breathing air in our home is something we have no choice over.
Heidi: As readers of our column, you can check our area’s radon potential on the EPA’s website, www.epa.gov. They have an on-line map of radon zones that have the greatest potential for elevated radon and this is by county. There could be a lot or a little radon, which is why every homeowner should test for radon and conduct frequent checkups.
Sandy: Fortunately, indoor radon levels in Arizona are among the lowest in the U.S. While radon levels in Arizona are generally low, there are several hot spots throughout the state. Some of the more prominent radon hot spots include: Tucson and the Cave Creek area. The EPA recommends that all homes be tested for radon levels. As I said earlier in the column, YCCA has the short-term radon test kits available and if they are conducted correctly for a minimum of two days, under closed-house conditions, one can reasonably say: If the result is less than 4.0 pCi/L, the annual average of the home under normal lived-in conditions is also likely to be less than 4.0 pCi/L. If the level is at or above 4.0 pCi/L, the house has the potential to average more than 4.0 pCi/L, and you should consider follow-up testing or taking action to reduce (mitigate) the radon in the home.
Heidi: All homes are different, from the style, material, and color, to the location and yet there are also plenty of similarities. One similarity that every home shares is its potential to have high radon levels. Whether a home is young or old, radon can enter and build up to unhealthy amounts, however, radon can be controlled and reduced in any home.
Thanks for stopping in “At Home with Heidi and Sandy.”
You’re in good company and we love sharing important information with you.
See you next month.
Heidi Marshall, Associate Broker, SRES, ABR, CFS, Realtor with Windermere, (928)830-2320.
Sandy Griffis, Executive Director, Yavapai County Contractors Association.
(928) 778-0040.
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