This week, we received another interesting article from the OACIQ in their monthly newsletter to real estate brokers.

At first glance, I have to admit, I rolled my eyes and said to myself... "Oh no, here we go again. Another hula-hoop the OACIQ is going to make us all jump through before selling a house!"

I had written about a similar article that had been published by the OACIQ about pyrite in the West Island and about how this article came back to bite my seller and me in our rear-ends during what we thought was a simple, straight-forward estate sale. In case you missed it - here's a link to that episode: https://www.teambroady.ca/en/captain-log/pyrite-in-the-west-island.

This week, however, instead of an article about pyrite, this one's about radon.

Our team has heard plenty of stories about radon before, and it has been a bit of a buzz-word in real estate for many years now... but the cases have been few and far between. So, to be honest, we've never given it much thought up until now.

So this time, I paid meticulous attention to not only the article but all the supporting links and references, which lead me down quite the rabbit hole, indeed!

So what exactly is RADON?

Radon is a radioactive gas that comes from the breakdown of uranium in soil and rock. It is invisible, odourless and tasteless. When radon is released from the ground into the outdoor air, it is diluted and not concerned. However, in enclosed spaces, like basements in homes, it can accumulate to high levels and become a risk to you and your family's health.

Although uranium sounds like a rare, radioactive element that one might only find in a nuclear power-plant, it is, in fact, a very common element found everywhere in the earth's crust. As a result, radon gas can be found in almost all homes in Canada. Concentrations differ significantly across the country but are usually higher in areas where there is higher uranium in underlying rock and soil.

Radon concentration levels will vary from one house to another, even if they are similar designs and next door to each other. The only way to be sure of the radon level in your home is to test for it.

According to Health Canada, a safe guideline of 200 Bq/m3 (becquerels per cubic meter) or less is acceptable and not a threat to one's health. However, any levels above this threshold can be considered quite dangerous. Radon is the # 2 cause of lung cancer behind smoking. That means if you're a non-smoker (or not directly exposed to 2nd-hand smoke)... it's the # 1 cause of lung cancer! 

More and more health professionals are now recommending that everyone (yes, EVERYONE) get their homes tested for radon levels. The concern is that this silent but deadly killer is lurking in far more places than we could imagine. 

One of the links that I came across while doing my research for this log directed me to one of Mike Holmes' videos on the topic. The video features a couple who had conducted a radon test after a recommendation from their building inspector. The test - which takes approximately 90 days to perform, requires installing a small radon device that will measure the concentrations in the air. This couple's radon levels came back at over 900 Bq/m3 - more than 4 times higher than the safe guideline standard. 

I was very impressed with the information provided in the video and was pleased to learn that the solution to a serious radon problem is rather simple and relatively affordable. I highly recommend watching the video, and I include a link here for those curious to learn more. 

So unlike the pyrite issue, which I believe is often blown waaay out of proportion and overdramatized to the public... I actually think the radon issue is a much more realistic threat to everyday homeowners. I'm definitely going to start talking more about radon with my clients now that I have a better understanding of it, and I'll probably recommend doing the testing as well. 

In fact, I'm going to get my own home tested as soon as possible. I'll let you know what the results are in 3 months from now!

Signing off...


Cap'n Mark