{"id":3064,"date":"2018-07-31T12:50:27","date_gmt":"2018-07-31T17:50:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/?p=1217"},"modified":"2020-04-27T07:56:46","modified_gmt":"2020-04-27T12:56:46","slug":"testing-testing-health-evaluations-for-potential-homes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/2018\/07\/31\/testing-testing-health-evaluations-for-potential-homes\/","title":{"rendered":"Testing, Testing: Health Evaluations for Potential Homes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Surprises are great \u2014 but not when you\u2019re closing on your new home. Even if a house passes a pre-close inspection, environmental hazards like mold, asbestos, radon, and lead may still be lurking. According to 2013 data from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, more than 30 million American homes pose \u201csignificant\u201d health issues.
\nThe good news: For the most part, those issues are easy to detect and, with professional intervention, easy to remedy. The bad news: A standard home inspection doesn\u2019t include tests for environmental factors like air quality, and these kinds of tests \u2014 and their fixes \u2014 can be expensive.
\nThat\u2019s why experts suggest making your offer contingent on environmental test results. The presence of certain hazards doesn\u2019t necessarily mean you have to pass on a property you really love; if the current owners are willing to pay experts to get rid of the problem, you and your family can move ahead without worry. If they aren\u2019t, that\u2019s their problem \u2014 anything that worries you could scare off other potential buyers, too.
\nHere are four health hazards to look out for when you\u2019re closing on a home, plus what to do if you encounter an issue.<\/strong>
\n1. Mold<\/strong>
\nYes, it looks gross, but a little bit of mold often isn\u2019t usually anything to panic over, especially if it\u2019s contained to one small area of the home. On a large scale, however, mold can cause unpleasant, allergy-like symptoms and even trigger asthma attacks. Young children, seniors, and people with heart and lung disease are particularly susceptible to mold\u2019s effects.
\nSellers may or may not have to disclose mold-related issues, depending on state laws. But you (or a home inspector) can still assess mold risk by asking the current owners about any flooding, burst pipes, or leaks they\u2019ve dealt with in the past.
\nThe presence of mold shouldn\u2019t necessarily be a deal breaker. You can easily DIY mold remediation of a small area. If the growth is more widespread, call in the pros.
\n2. Lead<\/strong>
\nIf you\u2019re buying a home that was built before 1978, it probably contains lead paint. Fortunately, if the property\u2019s painted surfaces are in good condition, it may be okay. Lead paint becomes problematic when it\u2019s cracked or peeling, and can be especially harmful to young children and pregnant women.
\nSellers are legally required to disclose the presence of lead in a home and share results if they\u2019ve had levels tested. If they haven\u2019t, buyers are, by law, given 10 days during which they can bring in their own inspectors.
\nIf lead is a concern for your family, leave the remediation to certified professionals who meet EPA standards.
\n3. Asbestos<\/strong>
\nSimilar to lead, asbestos was prevalent in homes built before 1975. It can be found in all kinds of surfaces and materials, from pipe insulation to siding to linoleum. Long-term exposure to asbestos can cause lung disease and cancer; however, just like lead paint, asbestos-filled products may not be cause for concern if they\u2019re in good condition. In fact, if they are in good condition, it\u2019s better to not disturb anything. Attempts to remove it will probably send highly-toxic asbestos particles into the atmosphere.
\nIf you\u2019re worried about asbestos, see if the seller will permit testing by an industrial hygiene firm. (Never test for asbestos yourself.) If it is present and poses a hazard, get estimates for professional removal from an asbestos abatement contractor. Fixing the problem won\u2019t take long, but whoever handles it should be properly licensed.
\n4. Radon<\/strong>
\nExposure to radon, a radioactive gas produced by the breakdown of uranium in soil, can pose a serious health risk. In fact, it\u2019s the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., after smoking. Radon can enter your home through cracks in the doors, windows, and foundation, and isn\u2019t just an issue for older homes \u2014 newer constructions can have hazardous radon levels, too. In fact, the EPA estimates that almost one out of every 15 homes has elevated radon levels.
\nExperts suggest testing your home for radon twice a year. If the sellers haven\u2019t tested for radon recently, insist that they reduce the home price to cover radon testing and, if levels are unsafe, remediation. You won\u2019t need to hire a separate home inspection firm to conduct a radon test, although it may be an additional charge. If radon is present, don\u2019t assume that means you have to retract your offer; radon removal pros are easy to find and relatively inexpensive.
\nThe upshot: Know what tests to ask for and don\u2019t be afraid to ask for them. Your dream home isn\u2019t the only thing at stake \u2014 your family\u2019s health is, too.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Surprises are great \u2014 but not when you\u2019re closing on your new home. Even if a house passes a pre-close inspection, environmental hazards like mold, asbestos, radon, and lead may still be lurking. According to 2013 data from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, more than 30 million American […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3068,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3064","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3064","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3064"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3064\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3068"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3064"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3064"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flagshipinsuranceservices.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3064"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}