Radon Test Before Buying a Home

Radon Testing During a Home Inspection

If you are thinking of purchasing a home you may be wondering if we can test for radon levels during the home inspection. Unfortunately we cant, however there is something YOU as the purchaser could do.

For reliable radon testing you should carry out a test for a minimum of 90 days, preferably an entire year! According to the Canadian Association of Radon Scientists & Technologists (CARST) a Real Estate Screening Assessment – is a radon assessment of at least 4 to 7 days. This short term test would need to be followed up by a longer test because the amount of radon in the home can very from winter to summer and is dependent of many factors relating to whether and ground conditions.

The problem with short term or spot tests are you may get a very low radon reading which is what you want, however that low reading might simply be low on the few days you tested giving you a dangerous false assessment of the radon levels in the home! On the flip side if you do a short term or even a spot test and the readings show high radon levels than you know there is a problem! You would still need to follow up with long term testing to get an accurate picture of the average radon levels in the home throughout the year however in respect to a relaestat transaction at least this would give you an indication that some radon mitigation will be necessary. According to CARST the majority of mitigations across Canada range in price from $3 000 to $4 000, the cost may occasionally be as high as $10 000.

Radon danger sign

Real Estate Screening Assessment

As a home inspector I wish we could do these real estate screening as part of a Pre Listing inspection so that the home inspection report and radon report could be prepared ahead of the home being listed for sale so that the information was available to all potential purchasers. From my experience however, home sellers are very reluctant to carry out pre listing inspections. In my opinion this is a foolish decision. On a side note check out our pre listing inspection page if you are selling a home!

Even if the seller agrees to permit a radon assessment of at least 4 to 7 days to be carried out in order for the test results to be considered accurate you have no idea if the home owner will follow the test protocols or will instead open windows in the area to try and ensure a low reading. Of course the time of year might not be good either.

Based on the information we have talked about so far it should be clear by now that no matter what you do you are going to want long term testing to ensure your family is safe from radon. Technology with radon detection has improved drastically over the last  few years. You may want to consider purchasing a Radon Eye. Manufactured by Ecosense this particular unit will display the first radon result in 10 minutes. A highly reliable result within 60 minutes. Ecosense has 3 different consumer models however the Radon Eye has an on-board display and will connect to your phone with blue tooth. To see the product and receive a discount through True Inspection please click here.

My advise is to show up on inspection day with the Radon Eye in hand and let it run while on site. If the readings are elevated you know you are likely going to have to mitigate. If the readings are low that’s great however keep in mind long term testing could still show elevated levels and the need to mitigate. In both scenarios you still should have a long term test carried out to make sure your home is safe. You now already own the monitor and can put it to use when you move in!

FAQ:

How reliable are these products by Ecosense?

The products that Ecosense manufacture have been tested for accuracy by several universities. For more information on these studies please see Validation of Ecosense Radon Detectors’ High Performance through Independent Third-Party Testing

Why cant you carry out these tests for me?

Because testing for 2-4 hours while at a home inspection is not considered acceptable by the Canadian Association of Radon Scientists & Technologists at the time of writing this article I have made the decision not to offer such a service. Given the advances in technology  I hope their guidelines are updated in the future to include spot testing during home inspections so long as consumers are made fully aware of the limitations of radon spot readings and the need for longer term testing.

How much does the Radon Eye cost?

https://ecosense.io/en-ca/pages/radoneye-overview-canada?ghref=23264%3A659736

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$226 CAD + Free Shipping

Why should I test for Radon?

Radon gas is an odourless radioactive gas due to uranium breaking down within soil and water. Radon gas seeps into the home through cracks in the foundation and contaminates the indoor air in your home. Breathing in high levels of radon can raise your risk of lung cancer. Testing your home is the only way to find out if you have a radon problem. If you do, then you can fix it.

Where can I find out more about Radon?

Canadian Association of Radon Scientists & Technologists

Soil Gas Mitigation Program Welland Ontario

CARST Guideline for Conducting a Radon Screening
Assessment as Part of a Real Estate Transaction of a
Residential Dwelling in Canada pdf

Radon in real estate

https://www.epa.gov/radon

Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations in Homes – Final Report

Understanding geographic variations of indoor radon potential for comprehensive cancer control planning