Radon home testing can help you get in front of a potential threat to your family's well-being. You might wonder when to ask for a radon home inspection. Folks who request inspections often do so for one of these four reasons.
Household Members Are Getting Ill
One of the more insidious things about radon is it can masquerade as several different respiratory problems. For example, people frequently develop coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Likewise, many folks exposed to radon assume these issues might be due to infections, allergies, or mold in their homes.
While you'll certainly want to explore those possibilities, you can schedule radon home testing at the same time. Especially if you've never had your residence tested, it's a worthwhile investment anyhow.
Also, while lung cancer is the dominant risk associated with radon poisoning, it's not the only one. If someone in your household experiences fatigue or unexplained weight loss, that may be due to radon. Similarly, a lot of people dismiss radon symptoms if they already have issues typically associated with smoking, COPD, and other respiratory problems. This can mask the presence of radon for years.
Buying, Selling, or Renting a House
The presence of unmitigated radon in a house should be an automatic no for buyers. Before you buy a place, ask a radon home inspection technician to check the place out. Even if a buyer says they've had the place tested, it's not going to hurt to perform a second inspection. Folks renting homes should consider testing, also.
Similarly, sellers and landlords should ask for radon home testing, too. There may be liability risks if a buyer finds a problem down the road.
Recent Excavation
If you have conducted a recent excavation on a property, there's a risk the activity could have disturbed pockets of radon gas. For example, someone who added a storm cellar to a house should ask for radon testing. Even digging near the structure could cause problems so it's a good idea to consider an inspection.
A House has Well Water
Remember that any digging can access pockets of radon gas in the ground. Consequently, folks who use well water should be aware of the potential radon risks. Just as you need to check for gases that might travel through the drinking water and affect the taste or color, you should be worried about radon traveling from the well, through the lines, and into your house.
