During a Park City home inspection, buyers are looking for red flags concerning the foundation, roof, plumbing, and other critical parts of a house. But for houses located anywhere in Utah, radon testing should be made a priority on any home inspection checklist.

Radon And Park City Homes

Radon is an undetectable gas which is a result of uranium and radium decay. This odorless, colorless gas seeps up from the earth and can gather in basements. In high enough quantities, radon can move into the rest of your home.

The main danger radon presents is the potential to cause lung cancer. There is also early research which links radon and certain blood cancers. While radon can be present in homes anywhere in the world, Utah homes have some of the highest concentration of radon in the United States. So, if you are interested in a home in Park City, Utah, you should certainly have your prospective home radon levels tested.

Ways To Inspect For Radon

Measured in picocuries per liter (pCi/L), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that 1.3 pCi/L of radon are the safe living threshold. When levels reach 4.0 pCi/L, action should be taken.

To test your potential new home for radon, you have several options available:

• Short-term radon testing – Using short-term radon testing can be done between 2-90 days, depending on the type of test you choose to have utilized. Passive detection units are available such as charcoal canisters, as are active one like handheld radon detectors.
• Long-term radon testing – If you are looking to buy a home, you likely won’t use a long-term radon test, as they need to be set to test radon levels for over 90 days. However, if the home you bought does have measurable radon levels, it may be worth it to you to have a long-term radon test kit set up to continually measure your home’s levels.

If it turns out the Park City home you have inspected does test high for radon, you don’t have to give up on the home. By working with an experienced realtor like Brad Jensen of Jensen and Company, the sell of the home can be negotiated to include a radon mitigation system, leaving your family protected and allowing you to continue with the sale.

To work with Brad Jensen during your Park City real estate search, contact Jensen and Company. We look forward to hearing from you.