What is Radon – Part 3

Posted by Debra Cribb Comments Off on What is Radon – Part 3 Radon

What is Radon – Part 3

What is the difference between a kit I can buy at a big box store and your radon machine?

There are a variety of radon test kits available to the general public to purchase to test their homes. For a real estate transaction, this may not be the best option since time is usually of the essence and the test has to be conducted for a minimum of 48 hours.

A big box test kit would then need to be returned to the originating lab for the data to be analyzed. When you hire PILLAR PREMIER INSPECTIONS we have a licensed indoor air quality specialist on staff who uses specially calibrated machines that we can upload and analyze the data in our office the same day the machine is picked up and report to you. Most real estate transactions per the contract have somewhere between 10-14 days to have all inspections completed and inspection notice sent to the listing party. If a big box canister system is used, then you have to mail it back – even overnight from here adds another two days. Then the lab, depending on caseload will address it when it can. All labs take any samples from professional inspection companies as a priority over a big box kit. They know our livelihoods depend on it.

A big box test kit report is also not as detailed as ours is because the canisters are not as sophisticated. They are inexpensive in nature where our machines cost thousands of dollars; require routine maintenance and calibrations (all requiring expenditures on our end).

Our machines generate two different types of reports. One is very comprehensive to read and the other is just a bit more complicated, but the end result is the same. We can tell when the peaks and valleys are occurring within the home so a remediation company can design the system for that residence from the data collected by our machine.  A canister report is useless for a remediation company and someone with a machine like ours will need to be hired to provide the remediation company the information required to design a system.

Give us a call to have the home you are looking to purchase or perhaps the home you live in to be tested for radon. We’d be delighted to help.

To learn more about HVAC inspections, contact our Pillar Premier Inspections today for more information.  Call Right Now To Schedule:  Lake of Ozarks – (573) 363-5511 or Springfield – (417) 893-0770