Buying a new home is often an exciting process that can transform a person's life for the better. Unfortunately, it can also be a scary situation, one that threatens a person's safety and well-being. How? Problems like radon aren't always fully understood even by the home's seller and can put a family's lives at risk. Thankfully, radon testing and mitigation before buying a home can reduce this risk and ensure that a family moves into their new home safely and without fear. 

How Radon Testing Protects Families 

Radon testing is a unique process that checks common radon-producing elements, such as a home's furnace, to ensure that it's safe. It gives a top-to-bottom test that helps new home buyers feel comfortable with their purchase. Homeowners should consider negotiating a radon test right in their purchase price to ensure that they catch any problems. This process includes several steps that will ensure a house is safe:

In-Depth Testing

Starting with the furnace and the basement, radon testers will work through a home to find any potential signs of this gas. If they find none, they may still suggest that the homeowner replaces the furnace or considers other radon mitigation steps. 

Tracking Radon Problems

If radon is detected, the mitigation team will carefully track where it originates from to ensure that a homeowner can mitigate it properly. For example, they may find sources in unexpected places, including the attic, and make sure they're properly handled. 

Mitigating the Issue

Now that the radon testers know where this gas enters a home, they can provide mitigation help to reduce a home's danger. Most mitigation includes carefully replacing a furnace or sealing a basement more effectively to keep radon gas from emerging. 

These simple steps should take several days to complete, depending on the severity of a home's radon problem. If there's no issue (which is thankfully common) testing may only take a day or two to complete. When there's radon present, mitigation may take a week or more. 

Taking Care of a Home Purchase 

Anyone buying a new home should go through radon testing and mitigation, even if their home is fairly new. Why? Even new homes can experience radon dangers that put a family at risk. Simply put, the potential issues are too severe to ignore and must be taken as seriously as possible. Buyers shouldn't just take the seller's word for it: they should demand a radon test and mitigate any problems before buying a house. If the issue can't be managed, they should pass on the home to stay safe. 

Contact a local radon testing service to learn more.