Who’s afraid of Radon? And what is it exactly…?
This is the first of an educational series of articles for home buyers and sellers in the Roanoke Valley.
Radon is a naturally occurring, cancer-causing radioactive gas that you can’t see, smell or taste. It is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. It can seep into and accumulate in your home. Are you scared yet? This article isn’t meant to cause alarm but to educate you on the dangers of radon and how to test for it and dispose of it if detected at dangerous levels.
According to the EPA’s map of radon zones for Virginia, counties and cities in western Virginia (including the Roanoke Valley) have a moderate to high potential for unsafe indoor radon levels. So what does this mean for home owners and buyers in Roanoke, Salem, Smith Mountain Lake or elsewhere in the Valley?
What everyone needs to understand about radon is you can’t detect it yourself. The process takes specialized equipment and a qualified radon service professional to test for, evaluate the results of and/or mitigate radon from your home. What you also need to understand is just because your neighbor’s home tested fine doesn’t mean you’re home is free from radon.
According to the EPA, if your radon level is 4 picoCuries per liter (pCi/L) or higher you are at a significantly higher risk of developing lung cancer. Radon levels less than 4 pCi/L still pose a risk, and in many cases may be reduced. The EPA has a good chart for determining dangerous levels of radon.
The EPA and your local qualified radon service professional are the best sources of information on how to prevent, detect and mitigate (get rid of) radon in your home. A radon test is typically less than $100 and can save a lot of heartache and worry in the future. A radon test is available to all Roanoke Valley home buyers (at your own expense) before buying a new home. Ask your home inspector if they can also test for radon.
Resources from the EPA:
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5 Responses to “Who’s afraid of Radon? And what is it exactly…?”
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Excellant article. I’m glad to see the real estate industry adressing radon. It is a very serious issue.
Thanks Calvin,
I appreciate your compliments, particularly from a professional in the radon mitigation and detection industry!
We are so pleased to see this important public education material posted. RADON is very easy to test for and simple to mitigate. You can purchase simple, affordable & accurate home test kits at hardware stores. Lung cancer is preventable, unlike so many other cancers. Test today so you can Breathe Safe.
Thanks for the comment George. Radon Safe completed the mitigation on my own home I bought several years ago. Still working great!
Very sad news, Marty. We just mitigated a home in Troutville where the wife had cancer and both their German Shepards died of lung cancer. They went 10 years “talking about” testing their house! We got it down to a 1.2pCi/L from 18.9 in 2.5 hours and her prognosis is “optimistic” according to the Oncologist. GF