Dear Ken: I have a 40-year-old, ranch-style home. The radon level in the basement bedroom is 7.8. How can I mitigate this? – Ed

Answer: Mitigation can get complicated, so you need to leave it up to the experts. It depends a great deal on your foundation’s configuration and how much of your basement is finished. Sometimes they will access the French drain pipes and suck air through that system. Or they might drill a hole or two in the basement floor for access.

Mitigation also involves extensive sealing with a mastic around the perimeter of the basement and penetrations such as sewer pipes. These companies guarantee their work, pledging to get the radon level below the 4.0 maximum number. They also will provide paperwork to satisfy a future buyer that the radon is under control. The cost is $1,000 to $1,500.

But don’t act too quickly. You have only one radon reading. Wait a few months and test again, and then average the readings. That will give you a better picture of the actual radon situation.

Dear Ken: I have older windows. They are all sticky and difficult in one way or another. I can’t afford to replace them. What should I use to loosen them? – Larry

Answer: There are two products I prefer. One is a silicone grease stick. It comes in a container that looks like an overweight lip balm tube. Rub it on the tracks and edges of the window frames – especially on the rubber and vinyl weather-stripping sections. This stuff is sticky so it will stay in place for several months. If you fancy a liquid product, try a Teflon-based spray such as Tri-Flow. I like it better than WD-40 because it leaves a little less residue and smells better.

Old windows are problematic. The parts you need for maintenance – weatherstrip, slides, pivots, cranks and locks – disappear from the marketplace. So, in spite of your best ministrations, windows eventually become less weatherproof and, of course, get uglier.

With interest rates at historic lows, perhaps it’s time to consider a low-cost home improvement loan to get a new set of vinyl windows. They will make your house more energy-efficient, more dust-free, quieter and prettier.

Dear Ken: I have vermiculite insulation in my attic. I have heard that it may contain asbestos. Should I remove it? – Randy

Answer: Absolutely not. If it contains asbestos, you would contaminate the inside of your house when removing it. This product, which looks like pieces of puffed-up mica, was popular in the 1940s and 1950s. Most of it was OK, except for one source: a mine in Montana that we now know had asbestos comingled with the vermiculite. While you could test yours, why bother? Once you know, you’ll have to disclose it to a buyer. Besides, the recommendation is the same for it and any another asbestos-containing material in your house: Leave it alone and cover it up. Add a thick layer of fiberglass or cellulose insulation over what you have now. Shoot for a total thickness of 15 inches, which will get you to about an R-50.

Dear Ken: I had a water leak in a flip house that I’m trying to sell. It ran down the basement walls, but we caught it quickly, cleaned it and redid the drywall. The buyer wants a mold inspection by a restoration company. Is there a way to tell if there is a problem? – Fred

Answer: Wait 30 days. If you don’t see any mold formation on the affected ceilings or walls, then you’re likely OK. Our ambient humidity is so low that mold seldom gets a foothold as long as the water source is dried quickly. Remember that mold you can’t see is not part of the indoor air environment – plus, any growth that might have started to form inside the wall spaces will die without a moisture source.

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Moon is a home inspector in the Pikes Peak region. His radio show airs at 9 a.m. Saturday and is carried on KRDO, AM 1240 and FM 105.5.