Are radon tests necessary?

When buying a home it is recommended that you hire a professional home inspector to determine latent defects within the home. If an inspector discovers serious problems you may ask the seller to correct the conditions, you may opt to proceed with the purchase in spite of them or you may decide to walk away from that home and resume your search.

A good home inspection will be comprehensive to the house and other structures on the property. The inspector should get into places where others fear to go; in the crawl space under the house where spiders like to live and into the attic where heat can be intense this time of year. They should get on the roof to make sure of its condition as well as the condition of vents and stacks that protrude through it. They should also check all systems in the house. This will include the electrical system, plumbing, heating and cooling systems in addition to whether or not the appliances are in working order.

Of course no one expects an inspector to have X-ray vision. They cannot see into walls or through ceilings. Instead they will use circuit testers to check all outlets, making sure that the required Ground Fault Interrupter (GFI) plugins are installed where they are needed. They will turn on plumbing and flush toilets and look under sinks and in the crawl space where exposed plumbing is often found, to make sure there are no leaks.

In the attic they will check the level of insulation, check for faulty wiring and make sure that exhaust fans for bathrooms and kitchens are properly vented to the outdoors instead of venting directly into the attic which can provide an excellent environment for mold to grow. Special tests may be recommended to determine if mold is present.

Different parts of the country have different concerns. Especially moist parts of the country may be concerned with mold issues while other areas find termite infestations at the top of their worry list. In some states, inspections are mandatory and are at the expense of the seller. In Idaho, inspections are at the request and expense of the buyer. Some buyers will opt out of an inspection due to the cost which is generally several hundred dollars. If you are scraping to make a down payment that may be difficult. Uncle Charlie, who once worked construction and will inspect out of kindness and for free, may not be the best choice when considering the largest investment of your life.

Like tests for mold, which may be hiding somewhere an inspector cannot see, a test for Radon gas will usually be in addition to normal physical inspection fees. In many parts of the country Radon is never mentioned but here, in North Idaho, it is commonplace.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (www.epa.gov): "Radon is an odorless, tasteless and invisible gas produced by the decay of naturally occurring uranium in soil and water."

EPA estimates that about 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the U.S. are radon-related. Exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. Radon is a form of ionizing radiation and a proven carcinogen. Lung cancer is the only known effect on human health from exposure to radon in air. Thus far, there is no evidence that children are at greater risk of lung cancer than are adults.

Even though we find it at varying levels in our area, mitigation is relatively simple. Low voltage fans contained in pipes installed in the lowest levels of the home and vented to the outside in conjunction with a vapor barrier usually will vent the gas outside, reducing it to a level the EPA has determined is not harmful. You can get a list of mitigation specialists from the EPA's website or ask your Realtor to make recommendations.

Trust an expert...call a Realtor. Call your Realtor or visit www.cdarealtors.com to search properties on the Multiple Listing Service or to find a Realtor member who will represent your best interests.

Kim Cooper is a real estate broker and the spokesman for the Coeur d'Alene Association of Realtors. Kim and the association invite your feedback and input for this column. You may contact them by writing to the Coeur d'Alene Association of Realtors, 409 W. Neider, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83815 or by calling (208) 667-0664.