# Radon inspection from a professional vs. a DIY solution



## Intosnow (May 19, 2017)

I am considering buying a home without a basement in a "Level 2" radon area. Should I get a radon inspection from a professional? I believe the home test kits can sample over more days than the professionals. I am not sure if the professionals have better tests or if I will incompetently administer the radon test. Does anyone have experience with DIY radon testing?


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

No direct experience but wouldn't you want the radon tests to be completed before you but and possibly paid for by the seller. A termite inspection is done that way. If the current home owner is proposing the DIY, insist on a professional company AND remediation to bring the test level down before you buy. Remediation on an existing slab home can be intrusive as it is unknown how that slab was installed. With no radon pipes underneath and unknown gravel base a single vent pipe may not be adequate. Plus all current penetrations will need to be located and sealed.

The home owner should have anticipated the need for a radon test and already taken care of it and fixed any problems.

Bud


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

The state of tenn has [or had] a program that issued out kits to homeowners to test for radon. It's been awhile [fuzzy memory] but it was a box or something you set out in a couple of different rooms and then after a specified time [few days?] you mailed it to the lab and a month or so later they send you the results. This test is best done with the house closed up - no open windows.

I agree with Bud that it would be best to have the test preformed professionally by the seller and if anything needs to be done, let that enter into the closing agreement.


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

Around Colorado, a radon test (electronic instrumentation) by a professional is about $150. His test instrument has very specific readings, and while it is not a long term test, it is pretty accurate (many conditions can effect radon... temp...weather...wind ...humudity... ground saturation etc and that's why long term tests are often advised.... but impractical in a sales transaction).

Do you have control over the premises at this time.?

A DIY canister is only $20 or so, but requires several days exposure under controlled conditions and several more days mail time to get a reading. I believe they are pretty accurate if used correctly.... but if you don't have control of the property, they can be moved and altered with different exposures.

A professional machine reading takes 2-3 days with immediate results, and is not a likely subject for tampering.


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## BIG Johnson (Apr 9, 2017)

MTN REMODEL LLC said:


> Around Colorado, a radon test (electronic instrumentation) by a professional is about $150. His test instrument has very specific readings, and while it is not a long term test, it is pretty accurate (many conditions can effect radon... temp...weather...wind ...humudity... ground saturation etc and that's why long term tests are often advised.... but impractical in a sales transaction).
> 
> Do you have control over the premises at this time.?
> 
> ...




If the home is currently occupied by the seller don't expect accurate results and don't waste $350. The seller will open windows and do whatever to make sure the house passes. Better to just buy the house and do your own longer term radon test. They're supposedly more accurate than the machine that hack home inspectors use.


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

BIG Johnson said:


> If the home is currently occupied by the seller don't expect accurate results and don't waste $350. The seller will open windows and do whatever to make sure the house passes. Better to just buy the house and do your own longer term radon test. They're supposedly more accurate than the machine that hack home inspectors use.


BIG....

I guess our experience has been different.

I agree with the fact that an owner ocupied home can be tampered with in regard to a radon test... less so with professional instrumentation.

The professional machines I've witnessed are pretty thorough... they measure temp changes/ humidity changes/trip if they are moved/etc and the charts can pretty easily detect if the conditions have been static in the home.

The machine is about $4500... not a piece of junk.

I come from radon country, probably between my work and my wife's realty work, been to varying degrees involved in probably close to 100 tests.

Certainly customs change in the country, and normally radon mitigation is technically a negotiable issue, but in 99% (I actually have not seen a case where the seller did not cure/mitigate) of the cases in our area, the seller pays for mitigation.

So there is a reason to test before buying, both for the cost of mitigation, and in some instances it can not be practically mitigated.

Best


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## Yoomkser (Jun 27, 2017)

Nice , thanks for your topic


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## BIG Johnson (Apr 9, 2017)

MTN REMODEL LLC said:


> BIG....
> 
> I guess our experience has been different.
> 
> ...



Just going by what a radon inspector told me. He said most sellers try to screw with the results. 

I think the whole radon thing is hyped up anyways. They say it's the second leading cause of lung cancer but I've never met or heard of anyone having lung cancer from radon.


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## BIG Johnson (Apr 9, 2017)

Intosnow said:


> I am considering buying a home without a basement in a "Level 2" radon area. Should I get a radon inspection from a professional? I believe the home test kits can sample over more days than the professionals. I am not sure if the professionals have better tests or if I will incompetently administer the radon test. Does anyone have experience with DIY radon testing?




I have used the DIY version. It's easy just follow the instructions.

If you reopen negotiations the seller can back out and go to their backup which might even be a better offer that came in after they accepted yours. 

If the inspector finds high radon and you submit an addendum to the PA for mitigation, you have reopened negotiations.


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## craig11152 (Jun 20, 2015)

Maybe adjust your offer to cover the worst case scenario for remediation with room to spare. Then if they accept your offer you have yourself covered.


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

BIG Johnson said:


> Just going by what a radon inspector told me. He said most sellers try to screw with the results.
> 
> I think the whole radon thing is hyped up anyways. They say it's the second leading cause of lung cancer but I've never met or heard of anyone having lung cancer from radon.


You and I agree on both points above unequivaically.......

And they sure will cheat the second test after remiduation work is done, ( to confirm effectiveness) because that is most always a cannister test. (at least in our locale.):vs_worry:

I've been away for it awhile, so allowing me my age and memory failures, I had studied it a fair degree as it invoved so many of our homes.

But in principal and magnitude of degree, EPA standards of 4 pico curies or whatever being excessive, is based on something like 8 hours/day exposure for 70 YEARS.

But it does scare new buyers.

Best


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

BIG Johnson said:


> I have used the DIY version. It's easy just follow the instructions.
> 
> If you reopen negotiations the seller can back out and go to their backup which might even be a better offer that came in after they accepted yours.
> 
> If the inspector finds high radon and you submit an addendum to the PA for mitigation, you have reopened negotiations.And that would be true of any inspection request/demand...and many, if not most, states' sales contract (PA) only allow the seller to refuse the inspection correction request (not cancell the contract) and the option to cancel then falls to the buyer.


YEP.... And I guess that if the market is that hot, buyers have to suck hind *** on the bull.

But remember, in most states that seller (and/or his realtor) is either going to have to make the radon disclosure to the new buyer or suffer negligence and or fraud liability. It is true that the new buyer may not care... however I have not seen, nor heard of that in our Colorado market.

Best


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