Services for Realtors – Denver, Colorado

Denver Colorado Real Estate Buyers Beware Of Radon

Real estate transactions are complicated – and stressful – enough without added concern over radon. Despite what many people think, radon levels are among the most straightforward factors to test and, if necessary, mitigate when selling or buying a house in Denver, Colorado. Since high radon levels are a serious health concern, it does have to be addressed, but it does not have to derail your house purchase!

Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas which is a by-product of the decay of naturally occurring uranium deposits in the soil and rock. It can seep into a house through the foundation, wiring and plumbing access areas, sump pump wells and other access points. New and older houses are equally at risk and any foundation – basement, crawlspace or structure-on-slab – can have high levels of radon. Since it is radioactive, radon has been rated as a Class A carcinogen, on the same level as benzene and asbestos, by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The National Research Council has stated that radon is a major environmental toxicant and a study by the Harvard University School of Public Health has described radon as the leading in-home hazard in the United States.

Measure the Amount of Radon in Your Denver Colorado Home

The measuring unit for radon is picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L), and testing surveys have shown that the average level of radon in single-family detached houses is 1.3 pCi/L, which is considered a safe level. At levels of 4 pCi/L, which the EPA considers to be an “action level,” radon mitigation is considered to be important. Most of Colorado has a higher-than-average level of radon concentration in houses. Tests have shown that 43% of houses in the Denver, Colorado area have radon levels at or above 4 pCi/L, while the average for the area is 4.5 pCi/L. This is an average, however, and individual houses may test with higher or lower concentrations of radon.

The only way to determine the radon levels in a specific house in Denver, Colorado is to have it tested. We can provide fast and accurate tests, which will give both the homeowner and the prospective buyer the information they need to make decisions. If the test results show elevated levels of radon, there is no need to panic and look for another house. Since the source of radon is the soil and rock formations in an area, other houses in the same neighborhood will have as great a likelihood of showing high concentrations as well. The best course of action is to have the house fitted with a radon mitigation system. Just caulking or sealing the foundation is not effective; a proper radon mitigation system requires much more than that. With our training and experience, we can design and install a truly beneficial radon mitigation system.

Don’t let fears of radon disrupt your real estate transaction in Denver, Colorado! Contact us for radon testing and radon mitigation systems.