The Environmental Protection Agency recommends that you test your home for radon. You can't see radon. And you can't smell or taste it. But it may be a problem in your home. Radon is estimated to cause many thousands of deaths each year. That's because when you breathe air containing radon, you can get lung cancer. In fact, the Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. Radon (a radioactive gas) comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in the soil, rock and water and gets into the air you breathe. Radon can be found all over the U.S., and can get into any type of building. Your greatest exposure is at home, where you spend most of your time.

Testing is the only way you know if you and your family are at risk from radon.

Nearly 1 out of every 15 homes in the U.S. is estimated to have elevated radon levels, and we have frequently found elevated radon levels (4 pCi/L or higher) in Western Massachusetts homes.

Radon in your home's indoor air can come from two sources; the soil or the water supply. Of the two, radon entering through the soil is a much larger risk. A radon in water problem is more likely when it's source is a private well or public supply that uses a ground system.

Cummings & Cioch recommends that you test your home for radon.

Should you test your home for radon during the inspection period of your purchase and sale contract, you have an opportunity to decide how you wish to proceed; do you want to incur mitigation costs or would you prefer to negotiate this expense with the homeowner?  If you are planning any major structural renovation, such as converting an unfinished basement area into living space, it is especially important to test for radon.

What's involved in testing your home?

We place two liquid scintillation vials in the basement of your home for 48 to 96 hours.  They will be retrieved, sent to a lab and results are available by phone or the internet. We try to accommodate the short inspection period that most buyers and sellers are working within.  The fee for this service is typically $95.

Want to learn more?  Click here.. for more information provided by the EPA.

 Serving Western Massachusetts & Northern Connecticut
Phone: (413) 562-7099