How necessary are radon/termite inspections in NE Ohio?
June 16, 2015 10:29 AM Subscribe
I'm asking this for my Mom, who owns a late-60's house and has never checked for termites or radon levels. Googling around, these kinds of checks do seem to be pretty important - but I'd like to hear some other opinions before potentially spending money for a termite/radon test. I'm ignorant regarding these kinds of inspections - is my friend blowing this out of proportion? Do most homeowners get these kinds of checks?
My Mom lives in Cleveland, Ohio - according to some termite FAQs I browsed, this area has a slight-to-moderate risk of termite infestations, which is lower than most of the country.
I'm assuming I can get a free termite inspection from a pest control company. Plus, my Mom is on Angieslist and I see a few termite/radon combination offers.
My question: Do most homeowners have these kinds of checks performed regularly? I get the feeling that checking for radon at least once is a must, yes?
Also, since my Mom doesn't really do any other annual inspections sans-furnace/air conditioning (My Mom hadn't even heard of radon before) - are there any other hazards we should be regularly checking for? Thanks!
My Mom lives in Cleveland, Ohio - according to some termite FAQs I browsed, this area has a slight-to-moderate risk of termite infestations, which is lower than most of the country.
I'm assuming I can get a free termite inspection from a pest control company. Plus, my Mom is on Angieslist and I see a few termite/radon combination offers.
My question: Do most homeowners have these kinds of checks performed regularly? I get the feeling that checking for radon at least once is a must, yes?
Also, since my Mom doesn't really do any other annual inspections sans-furnace/air conditioning (My Mom hadn't even heard of radon before) - are there any other hazards we should be regularly checking for? Thanks!
Radon is like the second leading cause of lung cancer. It's also incredibly easy to mitigate.
You could look at where she lives on this map and judge your own risk, or just buy a kit at Lowe's and find out. It's super cheap and you wouldn't catch me spending any real time in a basement without knowing it's clear. Note: the kits generally have a lab processing fee as well.
In Iowa all homes sold have to have a mitigation system or be tested to be sold. All new construction has to have the piping installed.
I can't speak to termites.
posted by cjorgensen at 10:37 AM on June 16, 2015
You could look at where she lives on this map and judge your own risk, or just buy a kit at Lowe's and find out. It's super cheap and you wouldn't catch me spending any real time in a basement without knowing it's clear. Note: the kits generally have a lab processing fee as well.
In Iowa all homes sold have to have a mitigation system or be tested to be sold. All new construction has to have the piping installed.
I can't speak to termites.
posted by cjorgensen at 10:37 AM on June 16, 2015
The radon test is pretty easy and not expensive - I would recommend doing it at least 2-3 times to sort of establish a baseline and rule out erroneous readings. However, a high result will indicate a need for a mitigation system to be installed - at a cost of 1,000-10,000 dollars, depending.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 10:37 AM on June 16, 2015
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 10:37 AM on June 16, 2015
Similar to cjorgensen - some states have mandatory termite+moisture or radon inspections when a house is sold. eg I believe PA has mandatory radon, and VA has termite+moisture (crawlspace) inspections.
So, if your mom's happily lived with out them, and doesn't care, then only worry about applicable laws when she sells.
(Radon is left to a testing kit, but you/she can do a crawlspace inspection if you want vs hire-out)
posted by k5.user at 10:40 AM on June 16, 2015
So, if your mom's happily lived with out them, and doesn't care, then only worry about applicable laws when she sells.
(Radon is left to a testing kit, but you/she can do a crawlspace inspection if you want vs hire-out)
posted by k5.user at 10:40 AM on June 16, 2015
Radon was required, I don't remember by whom, when we bought in Shaker. We didn't do a separate termite inspection.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 10:55 AM on June 16, 2015
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 10:55 AM on June 16, 2015
Radon in air is easy -- buy kit at Lowe's, place, collect, mail in. Cheap. You shouldn't need to do it more than once unless you get an elevated result.
If (and only if) your mom is on a drinking water well, testing drinking water is another really important one that many homeowners skip.
posted by pie ninja at 11:02 AM on June 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
If (and only if) your mom is on a drinking water well, testing drinking water is another really important one that many homeowners skip.
posted by pie ninja at 11:02 AM on June 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
If you're selling the house, it's the buyer's responsibility to do a radon test. It is something you should be concerned about because it's a carcinogen. The test is easy and cheap. If there's too much radon in the house, you can get a radon mitigation system installed. When I bought my first house, the radon level tested too high. The installation of a radon mitigation system cost $860 (n.b.: in 2004). I requested that the sellers reimburse me for this amount and they did.
posted by tckma at 11:47 AM on June 16, 2015
posted by tckma at 11:47 AM on June 16, 2015
Another potential snag: When we bought our radon-infused house umpteen years ago in a state that is not Ohio, our mortgage provider threatened to cut bait if it wasn't resolved.
posted by gnomeloaf at 2:13 PM on June 16, 2015
posted by gnomeloaf at 2:13 PM on June 16, 2015
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Termite inspections are typically annual. There's usually a fee that includes a bond.
posted by LoveHam at 10:37 AM on June 16, 2015