By: Insoo Park, CEO – Ecosense
Family safety is a common concern for homeowners. It’s a topic they explore when shopping for a home, and one those selling a home will highlight. Homes with modern safety features, such as outdoor lighting, security systems, and intelligent smoke detectors, are increasingly sought after in today’s real estate market.
However, one important health and safety feature is commonly overlooked by both homeowners and those shopping for a home: radon monitoring. Known to many as the “silent killer,” radon is a naturally occurring, colorless, odorless, and tasteless radioactive gas that is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. According to the US EPA, radon can be present at dangerous levels in any home and is responsible for 21,000 deaths annually in the US. And researchers are now finding a notable link between childhood leukemia and radon exposure.
The following are some key factors buyers, sellers, and homeowners must carefully consider as they seek to keep homes safe from radon.
Radon can Infiltrate any Home
A common misconception about radon is that new homes, well-ventilated homes, or homes without basements are safe. Consequently, those living in or considering buying such a home believe they can downplay or completely overlook the importance of radon testing.
The truth, however, is that radon can infiltrate any home regardless of its age, ventilation rate, or foundation type. Testing and monitoring are the only ways to accurately assess indoor radon levels and the associated health risks. To be safe, buyers and sellers must prioritize accurate radon testing as part of the home sale process.
Conducting comprehensive radon testing and being transparent about the results is a best practice for those selling homes. Even if not mandatory in their location, sellers who take this step demonstrate trustworthiness, which can potentially lead to a smoother negotiation and sales process.
For those shopping for homes, certified radon reports should be requested and reviewed. If they are unavailable, buyers should ensure comprehensive testing is done as part of the home inspection process.
Modern Technology Provides More Accurate Testing
Conventional DIY radon test kits use charcoal canisters to capture air samples that are then sent to a lab for analysis. While these tests can offer homeowners and buyers a basic understanding of reason levels, they don’t provide the type of reliable assessment needed for informed decision-making.
Monitors using modern radon detection technology provide more accurate readings and faster turnaround time. By utilizing pulsed ionization chambers, modern digital monitors can provide accurate real-time readings in one-hour increments throughout the deployment period without the need for lab analysis and yield data that can be easily interpreted by homeowners.
Modern radon detection technology can also alert homeowners to seasonal variations in radon levels by providing ongoing readings rather than just a one-time capture. Seasonal weather patterns and changes in exterior temperatures lead to fluctuations in indoor radon levels. In colder months, for example, a process known as the stack effect can draw higher volumes of radon out of surrounding soil and into homes.
Today’s monitors can also be easily moved to different locations within a home to provide a more comprehensive assessment of radon risk. Radon levels in an upstairs bedroom, for example, may vary from those in a basement family room. The immediate insights provided by real-time monitoring can quickly alert homeowners to radon hotspots.
Radon Issues can be Addressed with Mitigation
While the US Environmental Protection Agency has set a radon action level of 4 pCi/L, the World Health Organization recommends a slightly lower minimum of 2.7 pCi/L. At these levels, homeowners are advised to have a mitigation system installed.
Radon mitigation systems typically rely on a process known as active soil depressurization. Depressurization systems utilize a fan and suction pipes to move radon from under the foundation to the outdoors, where it can quickly dilute into the atmosphere.
Homeowners should enlist the services of a certified or state-licensed radon professional. The most reliable contractors will be certified by the National Radon Proficiency Program (NRPP) or the National Radon Safety Board (NRSB). Those with credentials from either organization will be trained in the most effective methods of designing and installing mitigation systems.
A certified radon mitigation system can be a valuable selling point in the real estate market for several reasons. Not only does it prevent radon and other soil gasses from infiltrating, but by limiting the entry of damp soil air, the indoor humidity is often lowered. The systems require little maintenance and typically involve operating costs of less than $10 per month.
The importance of radon testing for both homeowners and those shopping for a home cannot be overstated. By using radon detection technology to monitor for unsafe levels and employing radon mitigation when necessary, homeowners can create a safe environment where they and their families are safe from the deadly effects of the gas.
— Insoo Park, Founder and CEO of Ecosense, is a strategic business executive with a proven track record spanning more than 25 years. As a key sales and business development executive, he has been an integral component of three Silicon Valley start-up companies — all of which have either gone public or been acquired by publicly traded companies. With Ikanos Communications, Insoo served as a territorial sales director for all of Asia and North America. After Ikanos completed its initial public offering in 2005, Insoo served as a Vice President with Teknovus, which was acquired by Broadcom in 2010. In 2014, he joined SiTime as a Vice President of Strategic Sales. SiTime completed its IPO in 2019, and Insoo founded Ecosense intending to empower consumers to lead a safe and healthy lifestyle free from the life-threatening dangers posed by radon gas by delivering industry’s first real-time radon detection monitoring solutions.
Published by Elle G.
