This is a guest post by our home inspector, Zach Pentyliuk at Technologic Inspections. 

 

Hey everyone! I wanted to drop you a quick note about something that might be lurking in your home, and no, it's not another pandemic hobby gone wrong or that plant you swore you'd water regularly (guilty as charged). It’s something sneakier, and unfortunately, less fun… radon.

So, what’s the deal with radon? Picture this: you’ve got a roommate that’s completely invisible, totally odorless, and pretty much a ghost. Except this ghost doesn’t just spook you on occasion—it gives you lung cancer.

What is Radon?

Radon is a naturally occurring gas that comes from the breakdown of uranium in the soils below our homes. It’s pretty common and found in most places in the world. The real problem is that it can sneak into homes and build up to dangerous levels, especially in places like basements or ground floors. Once in your home, it can get into your lungs and cause lung cancer.

Pffft, Radon Shmadon…

The statistics are somewhat staggering… Up to 14% of lung cancer cases in Canada are caused by Radon gas. That equates to over 4000 deaths per year. To me, that is a pretty scary number.

My neighbors and I have been passing around a radon monitor, and 4 out of 5 people have had dangerous levels of radon gas in their homes. This is something you should be taking seriously, especially if you have people that spend extended time in the basement of your home (i.e., sleeping). I recommend investing in a radon monitoring device to protect your family and friends.

There are tons of monitoring devices online. I used this one and thought it worked well: Radon Monitoring Device off Amazon.

You’ve tested your home, and levels are high. Should you just give up and die already?

The good news? If your radon levels are high, there are ways to fix it. Typical radon mitigation systems professionally installed range from about $3k to $10k depending on the size and shape of your home.

They work by installing a fan that sucks the air (and radon gas along with it) out from underneath your home and venting it to the exterior through a plastic pipe. These fans run for 24 hours a day and are very quiet.

Long story short.

This is only Part 1 for radon gas; my next email will go over how this is likely to affect the real estate industry in the near future.

Give it a thought, maybe even order a test kit or monitoring device, and see where you stand. Better to be safe than sorry, right?

Let me know if you want more info, or if you just want to swap radon horror stories. Always here for that, too!

Cheers,

Zach Pentyliuk
780-777-6204
zachpentyliuk@gmail.com