Brendan Haggerty is a home inspector and owner of Pillar To Post – Home Inspection working in South Broward County.

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 Brendan Haggerty, a home inspector and owner of Pillar To Post – Home Inspection in South Broward County, shares his 10 reasons why it is important to test your client’s home for radon.

10. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking.

9. The Environmental Protection Agency states that a house should be tested annually for radon, while there is no recommendation for annual mold testing.

8. Radon can be found anywhere, in all soils and some water sources.

7. Radon is colorless, tasteless, odorless and deadly.

6. The EPA states that the average exterior radon level should be .4  and the interior levels should be lower than 4 pcl. The indoor average in the U.S. is 1.3 pcl.

5. Radon can be found in well water.

4. Radon can come from granite, travertine, marble and other earth mined building products commonly found in homes.

3. Houses are sealed with little exterior air exchange – radon is part of the unhealthy house syndrome.

2. Nearly 1 out of every 15 homes in the U.S. has elevated levels of radon.

1. You and your family are most likely to get your greatest radiation exposure at home, because that is where you spend most of your time.

Along with his wife Beth, Brendan Haggerty has been working as a home inspector since early 2008. Aside from inspections, Haggerty is also a mold assessor; boasts certifications with the American Society of Home Inspectors and the Florida Association of Building Inspectors; is a licensed radon measurement technician; and is president of the Home Inspector Association of South Florida.