Spring Garden Township wraps around York on three sides, and one piece of it, Windsor Park, isn't even attached to the rest. A strip of the city sits in between. Almost everybody here has a York, PA 17403 address anyway, which is why a lot of people don't realize they live in the township until the tax bill comes. Either way, it's close-in work for me. Most of Spring Garden is a short drive from anywhere I'm working on radon mitigation in York PA.
What's Under Spring Garden Township
Much of Spring Garden sits on the limestone valley right next to the city, and that ground lets soil gas move easily. The township also has a lot of mid-century block basements, which give the gas a path up through the walls. I check both the ground and the block before I lay out a system. More on York County geology and radon.
Mostly Mid-Century, With Some History Mixed In
The township's own comprehensive plan calls Spring Garden York County's most historic suburban community. Most of its houses went up in the middle and later part of the 20th century. Wyndham Hills was laid out in the early 1930s. Neighborhoods like Grantley, Elmwood, Mount Rose, Hillcroft and Brockie filled in after that. Regents' Glen is still adding homes.
For radon, the age of the house matters less than what's been done to it since. A 1950s house in Grantley might have:
- A basement that got finished in the '80s and again last year
- An addition on its own slab or its own crawl space
- A sump pit someone added after a wet spring
- Old openings in the floor from plumbing that got moved
Each of those changes how I lay out a system. That's why I don't quote over the phone. I come look first.
A lot of mid-century basements have hollow block walls. Here's how block foundations change a radon system.
The Hills Are in the Names
Wyndham Hills, Tri Hill, Violet Hill. The township sits on rolling ground, with small streams draining down toward Codorus Creek. On a sloped lot the basement is often partly out of the ground on one side, which affects where a pipe can run and where the fan can sit outside. I'd rather plan around that at the walkthrough than find out on install day.
Where Your Test Should Sit
If you're testing on your own first, placement matters. Pennsylvania DEP says a test goes on the lowest level you actually live in. If you're buying or selling, the real estate test goes on the lowest level that could be lived in, which in most Spring Garden houses means the basement.
That's also why I tell people planning a basement remodel to test before the drywall goes up. Putting a suction point in an unfinished basement is simpler than working around new walls and flooring. If you'd rather have it done for you, my radon testing is typically around $165.
What the 17403 Numbers Look Like
Pennsylvania DEP keeps a public record of radon tests. From the 17403 ZIP code, 3,982 of 6,769 basement tests came back at or above the EPA action level of 4 pCi/L. That's roughly 59 percent. The 17403 ZIP takes in most of Spring Garden but also parts of York Township and the city, so it's an area picture, not a township-only number. DEP's statewide figure is about 40 percent of tested homes.
Your house has its own number. Your neighbor's test tells you nothing certain about yours.
Buying or Selling in Spring Garden
A lot of radon calls start with a home sale. The inspection comes back high, and now there's a closing date. Here's how I handle that:
- I come out, look at the foundation, and give you a written number before anything is scheduled.
- The install is usually a day's work on a standard basement.
- I run the retest after the system is in. It's included. The buyer's side usually wants to see that number, and so should you.
If the house already has a system and it's not doing its job, the fix may be the fan, not a whole new install. See radon fan replacement and repair.
Spring Garden Questions
Are older Spring Garden houses more likely to have radon?
Not in any way I can promise you. Age and neighborhood don't set the number. An old house can test low and a newer one can test high. Test the house you're actually in.
Do you work in Windsor Park?
Yes. It's separated from the rest of the township on the map, but it's the same drive for me.
My basement has a sump and a drain system along the walls. Does that complicate things?
Sometimes it helps. An open sump is often a big soil-gas pathway, and a lot of the time I can seal the sump lid and use it as part of the system. A perimeter drain can also help air move under the slab. I'll tell you which applies at the walkthrough.
Can you come out on a Saturday?
Yes, Saturdays from 7:30am to 2:00pm. Weekdays run 7:30am to 7:30pm.
Beyond Radon
Some Spring Garden calls are about a musty basement or stuffy air rather than radon. For those I do mold testing and indoor air quality testing. Nearby, I also cover York Township, West York and Manchester Township. The whole list is on my service area page, and everything I do is on the services page.