Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 3, 1990 TAG: 9005310047
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DEBORAH EVANS BUSINESS WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Richard Conway, radiation specialist for the Virginia Department of Health in Roanoke, said most homeowners would prefer not thinking about radon, but it is a problem that is not going away.
Radon - an odorless, colorless radioactive gas that seeps into a house from the ground underneath it - is cited by the Environmental Protection Agency as second only to cigarettes as a leading cause of lung cancer.
Conway said there is a 2-in-10 chance of Roanoke Valley homes having radon levels above the EPA-recommended minimum.
And at least two Roanoke Valley pesticide companies are trying to make a go of the radon testing and mitigation business. A third may start within a month.
Their clients? Real-estate agents who are trying to close deals. Radon tests are not required by law, but testing often is made a condition of sale.
George Blankenship, owner of Blankenship Exterminating, said the prospect of having more work during the traditionally slow winter months is luring him into the radon testing business.
He is still doing his research, but Blankenship thinks he could be testing within two weeks. He plans to target realty companies.
John Robertson, vice-president of his family-owned franchise, Terminix International, says he has performed radon tests for relocation services for about a year now.
"Large companies move their operations from one city to another and a lot of property changes hands," Robertson said. "All of these homes are temporarily sold to relocation companies that are trying to hedge against their losses."
Now Terminix is also targeting individual homeowners with a direct-mail advertising campaign.
Terminix offers a 10-day quick test, which includes laboratory time, at $95 for one test site, $125 for two sites. The cost of long-term tests, which can take up to a year to complete, depend on the size of the home and can range from $60 to $200, Robertson said.
Do-it-yourself radon test kits, which the EPA says are similar to and just as reliable as those used by professionals, sell at Roanoke Valley hardware and department stores stores for $12.99 to $29.99.
While Conway said the over-the-counter devices are EPA-approved and "foolproof," Robertson questioned the validity of the test in real-estate transfers.
"The greatest number of people using the tests are trying to protect their families or are going to sell their property," Robertson said. "If I am a buyer of your property, I am not going to trust your test."
About two years ago, John Lanum, co-owner of AAA Exterminating and Pest Control, passed the EPA's mitigation proficiency test - demonstrating skills in ridding homes of radon. There are now about 40 other individuals who work in Virginia on EPA's mitigation proficiency list.
Pest control and radon testing require many of the same skills - a know-how of ventilation systems, foundations and soils, Lanum said.
The mitigation business really hasn't taken off yet because people aren't taking the radon threat seriously, he said. Lanum expects renewed public interest and booming business if governments begin requiring testing.
"It is one thing to say to a fellow his shirttail is on fire, it is another thing to pour water on it."
Most of Lanum's customers are real-estate agents who are trying to close a deal quickly and don't have the homeowner's luxury of testing and retesting over several months, he said.
Lanum charges $75 for first-time screenings - but says he encourages potential clients to run the tests themselves first.
Testing is "basically . . . a break-even deal" because he uses screening kits similar to those sold over-the-counter in hardware stores, Lanum said. Besides, he saves three time-consuming trips if he can talk customers into doing the tests.
Realtor Benny Firestone with Mastin Kirkland Bolling said it is easy to find someone who can do the test. Finding someone EPA-approved to handle mitigation is a different matter.
That's where Lanum comes in.
If initial screenings reveal between four and 20 picocuries of radon - levels exceeding those believed to be safe - the EPA recommends more extensive follow-up tests. Those can take up to a year to complete, time the homeowner who is trying to close on a deal doesn't have.
If the initial screenings turn up trouble, many homeowners then will turn to a professional, such as Lanum, to handle testing and any necessary mitigation.
The EPA points out that, depending on test results, mitigation can be as simple as opening a window or as complicated as completely sealing and re-venting a basement.
Extensive procedures to rid a home of radon may cost as much as $2,500, Lanum said, depending on what technique is required.
Radiation specialists with the Virginia Department of Health recommend consumers try the least expensive methods of radon detection and mitigation first.
"Anyone can do this test," Conway said. "Basically they are foolproof. It is not a complicated thing."
Test kits, whether used by the homeowner or contractor, are meant to provide a snapshot and the results were never intended to be definitive. Yet, they are used that way in real-estate transactions, Conway said.
"The best thing a homeowner can do is test before you even think about selling your house," he said.
Conway suggests homeowners take the least expensive approach to radon testing and use over-the-counter tests before putting a house up for sale.
Consumers who have questions about performing the tests or about mitigation should call Conway in Roanoke at 857-7411, or the state's toll-free radiation hotline at 1-800-468-0138.
by CNB