Deadly radon gas

Two recent examples speak of the dangers of radon gas and the importance of you getting a radon test on the home you're living in or the home you're looking to buy -

1) A couple from Winfield, KS, wrote a letter to The Kansas City Star that said, in part, "Our adult daughter has stage IV lung cancer. Because she never smoked, the likely cause is radon gas, which, according to the surgeon general, is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. This colorless, odorless, radioactive gas is created as uranium in the ground breaks down. If it collects in your basement, it can be lethal."

2) A couple, while scheduling their Complete Home Inspection on the house they were looking to buy, said that they DEFINITELY wanted a radon test. In their previous house, their family dog had developed lung cancer from radon gas and all of the time the dog spent in the basement.

Statistically, on either side of the state line in the Kansas City area, one of every three houses tested is found to have elevated radon levels. Miki Mertz is a certified radon tester, certified by both the National Radon Proficiency Program and by the State of Kansas. A radon test conducted by Complete Home Inspection costs only $100, and uses a continuous radon monitor that takes hourly samples over a period of two full days. The test unit is placed in the lowest livable level of the house. Windows are kept closed throughout the time of the test.  The test results are then averaged into an overall number for your final report. If the radon level is higher than 4.0piC/l, then it should be fixed, or "mitigated". Inexpensive do-it-yourself test kits are not what you want to rely on when it comes to your family's health and well-being. Instead, rely on the knowledge and competence of a certified radon tester like Miki.

Fortunately, radon is a fixable problem. A small suction fan is installed in a pipe that goes through the basement floor to suck out the radon from under the house and vent it to the exterior of the house. That way, the radon gas isn’t in the breathing air inside the house. The system becomes a permanent part of the house and uses about the same amount of electricity as a clock radio.Such a radon mitigation system costs about $700-900 in the Kansas City area. If you are buying a house, test for radon as a part of your home inspection process.  If the test shows a high radon level, you might negotiate with the seller to correct it. If it comes in low, you have peace of mind knowing that you’re buying a healthier house.

Regardless of whether you're in the process of buying or selling a house, have the level of radon gas tested in the house you're living in. It's too important to your family's health to be put off for some other time.

Whole house inspections, condo inspections, radon testing, mold testing, and more, we do it all for you. Call or E-mail today to schedule your Complete Home Inspection, complete with a radon test, 913-268-0222, www.completehomeinspectionkc.com.