Radon is a BIG issue these days! In fact, the Illinois Realtor Association included a new disclosure amandatory this year requesting that the Home Seller state if they are aware if theie home has radon and if they were ever tested. So what is Radon, and how serious is Radon. Well, thanks to my husband who is curious about the Earth I now know what Radon is and how it enters a home. Radon is a natural gas that comes from the core of the earthand enters the home from the basement openings and such. Depending on the levels of Radon a home has, it can be dangerous to your health. Radon is so new, first founded in 1986 we are still unaware of what effects it has and what damage it can cause and at what levels it can cause dangerous health effects. In Illinois the acceptable Radon level is anything UNDER 4.0. Thankfully, Illinois is one of the lowest states for their acceptance level. Some states allow 8.0 and such. So do you not buy a home with Radon? How can Radon be controlled in your home? Well, if you buy a home today and test for Radon it can test out below the 4.0 and be fine. However, in 6 months maybe 2 years you can re-test and it will be above the 4.0 acceptance level. Radon is a natural gas, we can not determine where and when it will increase. Just because at one time the home tested fine, does not mean it will be Radon free forever. Yes, you can buy a home with Radon that is above the acceptable 4.0 level, however you need to get a Radon Miitigation system installed to control the levels. What's that?  A speciality company comes in and drills a hole into your basement foundation, places a PVC pipe into the hole and vents the pipe outside the home. Inside the pipe the company places a fan that pulls the air out and up from the ground. This fan uses as much electricity as a Hair blower dryer. On the front of the pipe is a little colored metered that is in the shape of a "U". As long as the colored water is not in a "U" shape and is in a "J" shape or a backwards "J" means that there is enough air pull in the pipe and that the pipe is working correctly. However once the pipe is installed you should have it re-tested once to make sure that they installation company has hit the right source for a draw. I have several companies that specialize in Radon Mitigation, so if you have any questions please feel free to call me. On average a Radon System is around 850.00 and worth it's weight in gold. Another questions people ask me about Radon is ther more in Dupage than in Cook County. Here's tha funny thing. 2 Neighbors right next door to each other test their homes. One can test 1.2 and the other can test 8.7. There is no rhyme or reason for it's location. Do I believe in Radon? Well I know it is from the Earth, I know some studies have shown it to be dangerous, so I take the stand, "it's much better to be safe than sorry" so yes I recommend testing and re-testing, or just go start for the system. Better to be pro-active than re-active. Any more questions, just send me an e-mail- Karen