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General Real Estate

Radon Testing and Storms

Radon Testing and Storms

Be mindful when doing radon tests.

I got the following email from Robert Foster of Trebor Home Inspections, and am posting with his permission.

The Virginia Radon Coordinator sent out the following

As hurricane Florence bears down on the mid-Atlantic region, this message serves as a reminder that you should NOT conduct short term radon testing during major storm events. Several hours of abnormally low atmospheric pressure, high sustained winds and heavy precipitation can all cause abnormally high indoor radon levels. For that reason it is always best to postpone short term radon testing until extreme weather conditions have passed.

 

The question is, which days in the next couple of weeks are part of a “major storm event” and which days are normal rainy days?

As usual, it is my job to inform and follow the collective decisions made by you, your clients and the agents on the other side of your transactions.

On the buy side, I invite your opinions about how you would like to proceed with your radon tests during this period.

On the sell side, if you receive a high test result during this period of abnormal weather I would encourage you to be creative in working with the other side about setting up a second test at a later date or outright rejecting the results based on the statement from The Virginia Radon Coordinator. As I have frequently stated, many sellers are being asked to pay for radon mitigation erroneously based on 48 hour tests done during inclement weather, which is why I have always advocated for a longer 5 to 7 day test.

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Jim Duncan has been helping buyers and sellers in Charlottesville’s neighborhoods for 25 years. Get local insight born of experience.

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