Our Review of
EPA's Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide to Radon
What is the best test for real estate transactions?

Introduction to this review page: When the EPA presents their recommendations for how to decide Short-Term Radon Test vs. Long-Term Radon Test, listen up for important advice.

If you are testing in a real estate transaction and you need results quickly, the EPA states that there are three options for short-term tests to determine whether the home should be fixed.

1. Take two short-term tests at the same time in the same location in the home, with the tests lasting for at least 48 hours.
2. Take an initial short-term test for at least 48 hours. Immediately upon completing the first test, do a second test using an identical device in the same location as the first test.
3. Test the home with a continuous monitor for at least 48 hours

After testing, what does the EPA recommend if the average of the two tests is 4 pCi/L or more? Of course, it's to fix the home.

That's it in a nutshell, but beyond the details in the guide, which are based on physics of Radon and how testing devices work, it seems to us that this section of the guide would be pretty useful when choosing how to test in order to meet the requirements of your real estate transaction. Of course, we aren't legal professionals, and we aren't giving any legal advice, so absolve us of any blame if the EPA's Radon Guide doesn't satisfy your legal requirements, which are determined by your negotiations, state and federal laws. However, having the guidance in the guide from the EPA should be at least helpful in your quest to meet the requirements of your real estate transaction.

Want a Hardcopy of the EPA Radon Guide?

You can go to the source and get your own hardcopy of this Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide to Radon.

This series is provided to inform about Radon at Lake Tahoe and beyond. On each page, you can view more by clicking on one of the navigation links below.

Home Air Quality Monitors

A Radon detector is only one home monitor that you can use to check the indoor air quality of your home at Lake Tahoe and beyond. Here's a handy link to home air quality monitors and other air quality products.

Navigation: More Radon Information