Humza Khan is the owner of Pillar To Post Home Inspectors in Hanover Park

Every week, we ask a real estate professional for their Short List, a collection of tips and recommendations on an essential topic in real estate. This week, we talked with Mike Cuevas, a real estate broker with Exit Realty Redefined.

10. A radioactive gas that is formed naturally by the breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water, radon gas can simply be in and or around your house without any notice. Without the proper testing, it could be a serious health risk.

9. Radon is a colorless, tasteless, odorless gas that can be deadly. Without a proper radon test, you may never know it is in your home.

8. There are 15,000 to 22,000 lung cancer deaths per year that are associated with radon. The fact that a gas in your home can potentially cause lung cancer and death makes it imperative to test for and remove immediately.

7. Radon gas can be emitted from the most common household finishes, such as granite, marble travertine and other earth mined materials. Thirty-three types of granite commonly purchased in the United States and Canada have been found to emit radon gas.

6. Radon gas can also be found in well water. While most modern homes do not have wells any more, if there are natural aqueducts or water conduits under the soil, radon gas could be emitted into your home without you ever knowing.

5. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advises homeowners to test annually for radon.

4. Houses are built to keep the outside environment out and the inside air in with layers of vapor barriers, insulation and exterior waterproofing systems. However, this causes minimal air exchange, which causes radon gas to become trapped in the house.

3. Radon gas is a key factor in the Unhealthy House Syndrome – even more so than mold.

2. Approximately one out of every 15 homes in the U.S. has elevated levels of radon.

1. The first step towards finding out if you are at risk is to call in a professional remediation team to check for and remove radon.

Humza Khan is the owner of Pillar To Post Home Inspectors; located in Hanover Park, the company services the downtown and greater Chicago land areas. To have a radon inspection conducted on your home, or for all other home inspection inquiries please contact: Humza Khan, Pillar To Post Home Inspectors, Humza.khan@pillartopost.com.