Should you test for radon at inspection

The first thing you should know about radon and the state of Colorado…is that radon is everywhere in the state of Colorado. That’s right the entire state is considered a “hot zone”! There are no specifics on if radon levels are higher in the mountains or in the plains, the cold hard truth is your neighboring homes could read lower levels of radon than your home.

If you are looking for a home in Denver, Boulder, Castle Rock, Aurora, Evergreen or anywhere else in the state…. I ask you please to consider a radon test when you conduct your inspection. Radon test cost approximately $75.00-150.00 they run anywhere from 2-7 days and show you the levels of radon as they change hourly everyday. IF you are lucky enough to get a high radon reading on a 48+hour test the next step is negotiating! After a seller is informed about radon levels above the EPA standards (4pci) they are then required to disclose the high reading to any potential buyers!!! If the radon levels come back above the recommended levels then it is in all parties best interest, buyers and sellers to work on negotiating a radon mitigation system for the home rather than walking away from the transaction all together. Radon is the second leadin cause of lung cancer and we have the tools to prevent excessive levels of radon why wouldn’t we consider using them and even better negotiating this health hazard as a condition of the purchase of any new home. Ask a GrantsHouses.com Broker for a digital test, when buying or selling your home.

Bentonite in Colorado

Friday, January 9th, 2009

Have you been looking for a home in Morrison or Littleton? Many buyers ask why there are so many homes that seem to have foundational issues, concrete settling and seem to boast industrial looking gutters?  Some of these communities include, Friendly Hills, Trappers Glenn, Spring Hill, Belleview Acres, Harriman Park, Lakehurst, Foothills Green, Country West, Dancing Willows, West Meadows, Ken Caryl Ranch, Powderhorn and more!

What is the common characteristic?  I will tell you it has many names, Jefferson County calls it moving soils, some say expansive soils and others call it bentonite. The soil in these areas have the ability to expand when combined with water to 15 times its original size!!! Bentonite is a type of clay and takes on many different characteristics depending on the minerals the bentonite is combined with. As you can imagine this can have staggering affects on a homes foundation. In these communities it is very important that the roads, drainage and construction of the homes have all been made with expansive soils in mind. When shopping for a home in Morrison, Littleton, Lakewood, Highlands Ranch or anywhere else you will always have the option of having a soil test done yourself. However Jefferson County is kind enough to have a map of the areas they have targeted for moving or expansive soils. When you are considering purchasing a home in Ken Caryl Ranch, Friendly Hills, Trappers Glenn or Harriman Park or any other communities, take special precaution when inspecting the drainage systems and the irrigation systems on these homes. Even if the builder has constructed the home correctly to combat the affects of bentonite and other minerals in the soil it will all be lost if the home has poor drainage. Be sure and look around at your “potential” neighbors homes too, these houses can be draining water into your lawn and thus affecting your homes foundation. If any foundational work has already been done ALWAYS contact the professional contractor that has completed the work and get all information regarding the engineers report , soils report and any warranty that may exist. IF the home is a foreclosure, contact Jefferson County first. ALL foundational work must have a permit issued by the county. Jefferson County is a wonderful place to start your search they will look up the address of the home in question and pull of permits issued on the home since it was built. Showing you the work that has been done. Also never trust foundational work that did not take out a permit, this is a sure disaster! When dealing with foundations you want a professional and when it comes to moving soils you must have an engineers report detailing the plan of how to combat these soils and assuring you the home is not going to move in the future with property maintenance. Call us for additional questions if you are searching for homes in any of these areas of Morrison or Littleton we will help you find the answers and make the right decisions!