Archive for the 'Home Maintenance' Category
Radon Testing My Home
Whenever my clients have a home inspection performed, I always recommend that they also have a radon test performed.
Radon is an odorless and tasteless gas that is released when uranium decays in soil and rocks. It is just about everywhere, at varying concentration levels. It can enter a home through cracks in the walls and floor of your foundation and collect indoors. It can also be released by building materials or well water. If people are repeatedly exposed to high levels of radon, it can lead to lung cancer. Radon is actually the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US and every year between 15,000 to 22,000 people die from lung cancer associated with radon. Scary stuff.
For some reason when I purchased my home, my agent never suggested a radon test, nor did the home inspector. Huh. So this past week I called up one of the inspection companies that I frequently recommend and asked that they perform a radon test on my own home.
Right now I have a continuous monitoring machine running in my basement, actively taking samples of the air every 5 minutes. After 48 hours, the inspector will come back and immediately give me the results.
The inspector could have alternatively performed a passive radon test with a charcoal canister. The cannister tests are somewhat less reliable and need to be shipped off to a lab for analysis. Also, these types of tests do not indicate if a homeowner left windows or doors open, interfering with the test results.
A continuous monitoring test alerts an inspector to interference. Not really an issue in my case for testing, but something to think about if you’re a homebuyer requesting one of these tests.
Tomorrow when the inspector drops by to pick up the machine and give me my results, I’ll be hoping they are below 4.0 picocuries per liter (pCi/L). Anything below 4.0 is deemed “safe” by the EPA. Anything 4.0 and over needs to be retested and, potentially, a radon mitigation system may need to be installed.
Keep your fingers crossed for a sub 4.0 reading, please…
UPDATE: Our radon test results came back at 2.1pCi/L, so no issues for the time being. Also, thanks to a loyal reader for a link to the Connecticut Department of Public Health’s list of radon mitigation professionals. The document also contains some good information on how radon mitigation systems work and a range of installation costs.
Insuring the Contents of Your Home
“Does the house have ample closet space? Is there additional storage room in the garage or basement?” I get this question all the time because, well, most of us have a lot of stuff.
But do you know how much your “stuff” is worth? What would happen if there was a fire and everything was destroyed? Would you have adequate replacement coverage with your insurance policy?
The New York Times recently published an article that has some good ideas to help you catalog your belongings so that you can ensure proper coverage in case of a disaster. All I know is that I have a lot of pictures to take…
Free Residential Energy Audits
Last year I paid $3500 to heat my home for the entire year. Due to the fact that my house was built in 1910 and has no real insulation in the walls and 45 original windows, I know that my house doesn’t stand a chance at being energy efficient. You, on the the other hand, may be able to improve the energy efficiency of your home, and here’s a free way to find out…
If you heat your home by electric or gas, and are a Connecticut Light & Power customer, you are entitled to a free energy checkup for your house. Complete this application form and mail it to:
CL&P
Attn: Home Energy Solutions Program
66 Curtis St.
New Britain, CT 06052
You can also call for more information at 1-877-947-3873.
If you’re not a CL&P customer, you’re somewhat out of luck. However, the FTC offers some tips to save money and stay warm…
Thanks to the Hartford Courant for originally reporting on this…