Radon is a tasteless, colorless and odorless gas that is a decay product of uranium and occurs naturally in soil and rock. Radon gas has been identified as the second leading cause of lung cancer, second only to cigarette smoking, and it is estimated to be responsible for 21,000 deaths annually.1 Radon breaks down into components called radon progeny, sometimes called "radon daughters," which emit high-energy alpha particles. These emissions raise the risk of lung cancer
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. Of the 155,000 lung cancer deaths annually in the United States, about 12% are due to radon exposure. The remainder is due to smoking. According to the National Academy of Sciences, radon is estimated to cause about 15,000 deaths per year, although the number could be as high as 22,000.
Radon gas can enter a home from the soil under the house through cracks in the concrete slab, floors, or walls and through floor drains, sump pumps, construction joints and cracks or pores in hollow-block walls. Normal pressure differences between the house and the soil can create a slight vacuum in the basement, which can draw radon from the soil into the building. The design, construction and ventilation of the home can affect the radon levels of the home.
Well water can be another source of indoor radon. Radon released by well water during showering or other activities may release radon gas into the home. Radon in water is a much smaller factor in radon exposure than radon in soil.
Radon exposure outdoors is much less of a risk than indoors because the radon is diluted to low concentrations by the large volume of air.
If you are thinking of buying a home, you should have a radon test done before purchase. You may want to consider including provisions in the real estate contract specifying details about the radon test. Make sure the test is done in the lowest level of the home suitable for occupancy. In addition, we recommend using a Professional Tester to administer your radon test, according to EPA or your state's protocols.
Short term tests measure radon levels for exposure periods of 2 days to 90 days, depending on the device. Short term testing is extremely useful when you need results quickly such as during a real estate transaction. Most common tests for radon last 2-7 days.
1 http://www.epa.gov/radon/healthrisks.html
2 http://www.epa.gov/radon/zonemap/pennsylvania.htm
3 http://www.epa.gov/iaq/radon/pubs/hmbyguid.html#8.a.
Buying a home? Make sure it's Move In Certified.
Selling a home? Certify it now!
Seller inspections also known as Pre-Listing Inspections are becoming more and more popular. These inspections virtually eliminate all the hassles and aggravation associated with waiting until a buyer is found to do the inspections. When you stop to think about it, waiting to schedule a home inspection until after a home goes under agreement can in many ways be too late. Seller inspections are arranged and paid for by the seller, usually just before the home goes on the market. The seller is the inspector's client, so the inspector is working for the seller and the inspection report is generated for the seller. The seller then typically makes multiple copies of the report and shares them with all the potential buyers. A seller's inspection is a beneficial to all the parties party's involved in the transaction.
Here are some of the benefits of a Pre-Listing Inspection:
- The seller can choose a certified InterNACHI inspector rather than be at the mercy of the buyer's
choice of inspector.
- The seller can schedule the inspections at the seller's convenience.
- It might alert the seller of any items of immediate personal concern, such as radon gas or active Wood
Destroying Insect infestation.
- The seller can assist the inspector during the inspection, something normally not done during a buyer's
inspection.
- The seller can have the inspector correct any misstatements in the inspection report before it is
generated.
- The report can help the seller realistically price the home if problems exist.
- The report can help the seller substantiate a higher asking price if problems don't exist or have been
corrected.
- A seller inspection reveals problems ahead of time which:
- might make the home show better.
- gives the seller time to make repairs and shop for competitive contractors.
- permits the seller to attach repair estimates or paid invoices to the inspection report.
- removes over-inflated buyer procured estimates from the negotiation table.
- The report might alert the seller to any immediate safety issues found, before agents and visitors tour
the home.
- The report provides a third-party, unbiased opinion to offer to potential buyers.
- A seller inspection permits a clean home inspection report to be used as a marketing tool.
- A seller inspection is the ultimate gesture in forthrightness on the part of the seller.
- The report might relieve a prospective buyer's unfounded suspicions, before they walk away.
- A seller inspection lightens negotiations and 11th-hour re-negotiations.
- The report might encourage the buyer to waive the inspection contingency.
- The deal is less likely to fall apart the way they often do when a buyer's inspection unexpectedly reveals
a last minute problem.
- The report provides full-disclosure protection from future legal claims.
| Q. Why do I need a home inspection? |
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A. Professionally trained home inspectors assist in maintaining the health of your home and a property inspection makes home maintenance easy by catching minor problems before they become big projects. |
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| Q. Who exactly would require a home inspection? |
| A. When buying a new home, new construction home or a pre-owned home, you need an inspection for your peace of mind. Sellers also benefit from home inspections by knowing the condition of their home before listing. They are spared the embarrassment of the buyers home inspector finding major defects with their home that they were not aware of and possibly will hold up the real estate transaction. If your new home still has a home warranty through a builder it is smart to have a home inspection before it expires |
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| Q. I've checked this house out thoroughly myself, why do I need an inspection? |
| A. Inspectors have the training, experience and competence that comes with being in the industry and inspecting hundreds of homes. We know what to look for and what to look at. Considering the average home, there are literally hundreds items that should be inspected. While you or someone you may know can examine the home and roughly determine the overall condition of it, inspectors inspect homes daily, each and every week throughout the year and know exactly what to look for in a home. We detect minor/major flaws, defects in workmanship, proper installation and construction parameters and unsafe conditions that the general public would miss. |
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| Q. What is included in your home inspection? |
| A. A proper home inspection will take account of: Physical structure, Roof, sub roof, gutters/leaders, and downspouts. Overall plumbing and electrical systems, heating and air conditioning systems, appliances, foundations, drainage, septic or sewer systems just to cover a few. Every home is unique and inspected accordingly. |
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| Q. How long does your inspection take? |
| A. Every home is different, the average home is about 1800 square feet, and usually takes around 3 to 4 hours to inspect properly. |
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| Q. Should I be at the home inspection? |
| A. Yes, you should be there at the home inspection. |
What it DOES
A key component of septic system is the septic tank itself. The septic tank is an underground, waterproof container designed to:
- receive waste water from your home
- separate solids from liquids
- partially digest and decompose organic matter
- store sludge and scum
- release relatively clear effluent to the absorption area.
If the septic tank is functioning properly, the solids will be effectively separated from the liquids. Then the solids and the partially decomposed sludge will settle to the bottom of the tank and accumulate while a scum of lightweight material (including fats and greases) rises to the top. The partially-clarified liquids that lies between the scum and the sludge layers flow out via the outlet baffle to the absorption area.
The absorption area is the most sensitive component of the septic system. This portion of the system uses a series of pipes and other devices to uniformly distribute the clarified effluent throughout an area of suitable gravel, sand and soils. It is here, that the soil microbes, minerals and bacterial finish the renovation process by returning to the environment liquid that is ready for reuse.
The PROBLEMS:
This is a Picture of the cross section of a Septic Tank
The SOLUTIONS:
You can easily prolong the life of your septic system by having your system checked on a regular basis. Your local Home Inspector or Septic Pumping Company can inspect your system to determine how often your tank should be cleaned. He may also provide you with an annual system inspection for a reasonable fee.
When the treatment tank requires cleaning, insist that the pumper open and pump through the main access to remove all the organic solids and leave no more than one inch of free liquid.The contractor should also check the condition of the baffles. If the baffles are missing or damaged, they should be replaced immediately. Do not allow the contractor to damage your treatment tank by pumping through the small 4" or 6" inspection ports.
WATER Conservation:
Even when the treatment tank is properly cleaned, you can still cause a system failure through a hydraulic overload. This occurs when you put more water into the system than your system was designed to handle. Modern system are sized by the number of bedrooms in the house, however, older systems may be undersized. It is possible, however, to overload a properly sized system!
To prevent hydraulic overloads, install water-conserving plumbing fixtures like shower heads, faucet aerators, toilet tank dams or, better yet, low-flush water conserving toilets. Front loading washers save both water and energy! You can reduce your water usage by up to 30% by using these devices.
Spread your laundry chores throughout the week; do no more than two loads a day. Hot tubs, whirlpools and jacuzzi should be emptied or drained very slowly. This avoids water surges that scour the treatment tank and flush solids into the absorption area.
Tips For Maintaining The Operating Lif of Your System:
- Contractors should pump the treatment tank through the main access, not the inspection port.
- Do not clean latex paint from rollers or brushes in sinks that discharge into a septic system.
- Do not flush large numbers of unused antibiotics into a septic system.
- Materials that do not rapidly decompose (e.g., sanitary napkins, coffee grounds, disposable diapers,
kitty litter, facial tissues, cigarette butts, etc.) should never be flushed into a septic tank.
- Check for leaky faucets, toilets and other fixtures. Every leak that reaches the septic tank puts an
unnecessary burden on your system.
- Garbage disposal and garbage grinding dishwashers increase a treatment tank's workload. The
increased organic solids load requires more frequent tank pumping. A better alternative is to
- compost these materials and not send them to the septic tank.
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JTHIS-Professional Home Inspection Team is a family owned and operated business committed to providing quality service in the general Northeastern and Central Pa area. For reliable service call us at
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
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