With a roof above, strong walls, and doors that lock, homes are there to protect us from the elements and the dangers of the world outside. But homes can only keep us safe if the home itself is healthy.
At the National Center for Healthy Housing, we’ve researched and promoted housing health since 1992, so we know the value of home inspection and proactive maintenance.
Owning a home is both the greatest expense and the greatest investment for many families, and that’s why it’s important to give your home the care it needs, starting with the inspection process.
Home inspections are an important part of the homebuying experience and should never be skipped—you’ll want to know what issues need to be corrected on a property before you close. We’ll discuss three hidden household threats that might not appear on the home inspection report unless you ask: radon, lead, and mold.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. An odorless, colorless, tasteless gas that rises from the soil, radon normally dissipates into the outdoor air; however, radon trapped indoors accumulates and is breathed in by family members. Radon tests are inexpensive, and the problem is easily managed by installing a fan that pulls the gas from the basement through a pipe.
Lead is highly toxic and is most dangerous to young children. It can cause permanent damage to a child’s brain and nervous system, resulting in IQ deficits and learning and behavioral problems. Lead can harm adults too, increasing risk of hypertension and other outcomes.
Homes constructed before 1978 may contain lead-based paint, so be sure to test older homes for lead before you buy. It’s usually found on door casings and windowsills, but painted porches outside can also test positive for lead. Unfortunately, paint’s not the only place to find lead; if your home is near other older buildings, there could be lead in the soil outside from past renovation or demolition work in the area. Homes near highways and airports often have high levels of lead in their soil, too.
While testing your home for lead in the paint and soil, also check for lead in your water. Yes, some homes have lead in the water—it can come in via an old municipal service line buried in your yard or from certain plumbing fixtures.
We’re not advising against buying a home because of the risk of lead, but understand that managing a lead problem can be a complicated, expensive process, so it’s important to know what you’re getting into before you finalize the contract. Be prepared to order lead tests for the paint, the soil, and the water so you know what it’s going to cost to ensure your home is safe.
Finally, there’s mold. While radon levels may be managed without too much expense and most lead issues are found in older homes, mold can threaten any home, anywhere, at any time. Mold exposure can cause allergic reactions, severe neurological issues, life-threatening respiratory problems (including asthma attacks), skin irritations, and infections.
Potential causes of mold include a damaged roof, a window that leaks, condensation forming on an uninsulated pipe, or a downspout depositing water too close to a basement wall. Moisture problems don’t fix themselves and only become more dangerous and expensive the longer they’re left untreated, so it’s critically important to correct problems early and completely—no shortcuts! If your seller’s in charge of fixing a water problem, make sure that both parties have agreed on what the best course of action is (hint: it’s not painting over a mold stain).
The benefit of identifying radon, lead, or mold during the home inspection process is that you can make an informed decision about whether to proceed with the purchase, you can educate yourself on how to reduce exposure if you do decide to buy, and you may be able to use the information to negotiate with the seller to offset costs of remediation.
All clear? Once you’ve moved into your beautiful new home, you can stay on top of your home’s maintenance needs by inspecting your property regularly—you’ll sometimes discover issues that aren’t problems yet but could be in the future. We recommend getting started by downloading our Healthy Homes Maintenance Checklist (English: https://bit.ly/HHmaint_Eng; Spanish: https://bit.ly/HHmaint_Esp), which organizes the most common household safety issues by season, indoors or out, and whether to “DIY it” or call a pro.
Best of luck to all of you moving into your first, next, or forever home!