In addition to having a regular home inspection, you’ll want to consider additional tests for your home, such as tests for radon, lead paint, termites and asbestos if you’re preparing your home to sell. In fact, such tests are required by many municipalities before your home sale closes. Having your home tested for hazardous materials is a good idea even if you’re not going to sell your home in the foreseeable future.
11 things you should know about additional tests for your home:
1. Identifying a hazard is important to keeping your family safe. Radon, carbon monoxide, lead paint and asbestos in your home have the potential to cause serious health problems. Identifying a problem is the first step to addressing the hazard.
2. You may not notice a problem. Some serious issues, such as radon and carbon monoxide accumulating in your home, are undetectable without special equipment. These hazardous gases are colorless and odorless. The EPA claims that radon gas is the second-leading cause of lung cancer.
3. Additional tests may enhance the marketability of your property. If you’re preparing to sell your home, having your home tested (prior to listing) for termites, radon, lead paint and other hazards can give you an edge over other real estate listings.
4. Detecting lead paint and even asbestos does not require costly mitigation methods. In many cases, lead paint and asbestos can be encapsulated to prevent occupants from being exposed to them.
5. Termites consume wood slowly. If the inspector finds termites in your home, you shouldn’t panic. The average termite colony eats just a pound of wood in five years. There are modern methods for effective treatment of termites.
6. Homes constructed prior to 1978 are likely to have some hazardous materials. Asbestos and lead paint were used extensively in home construction prior to the mid-1970s. Asbestos was used in multiple building products, internally and externally. The presence of asbestos warrants testing to determine the percentage and type of asbestos. There are different types of asbestos in various types of materials.
7. You should have carbon monoxide and smoke detectors throughout the home. Even after a thorough inspection, hazardous gases, especially carbon monoxide, can be present in your home in the future.
8. Radon is not specific to one geographic area. Radon is the natural by-product of decaying rock, such as uranium and granite. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, radon has been found in all 50 states. Radon is most prevalent in southern New England.
9. Carbon monoxide is a by-product of your home’s burned fuels. Carbon monoxide is a combustion by-product of your home’s heating fuels. When all appliances are operating satisfactorily, the by-products of combustion exit the home through the chimney.
10. The presence of naturally occurring hazardous materials does not insinuate that the homeowner is totally negligent. Proper testing, evaluation and reporting by qualified inspectors are key to maintaining a safe environment within the home.
11. The homeowner may not observe termite mudtubes until the damage has occurred. Therefore, your casual, visual inspection may not be enough to detect a problem. That’s why a professional inspection, which mandates a thorough inspection by qualified and trained inspectors, is so important.
To learn more about additional testing for your home and/or to schedule a professional, thorough inspection of your Connecticut or Rhode Island area home, call Tom Morgan at Sound Home Inspection at (860) 445-1236. Tom has been thoroughly inspecting homes for more than 25 years.