Question of the Week: What have you done to protect your home against radon?
Posted on January 12th, 2009 - 10:30 AMEach week we ask a question related to the environment. Please let us know your thoughts as comments. Feel free to respond to earlier comments or post new ideas. Previous questions.
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas, but it can build up inside homes and cause lung cancer (it’s number 2, after smoking). You can buy radon test kits to check for radon, improve home ventilation, and other things. January is National Radon Action Month.
What have you done to protect your home against radon?
Tags: lung cancer, Radon
| Permalink | TrackBack
Subscribe to this blog's feed
Follow us on Twitter
Question of the Week
January 12th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
We live in an area where radon is more prevalant and our home had a radon detector installed before we purchased the home back in 1996.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
While in the market for a home, I hired an inspector to look over a home I was interested in. After paying for the home inspection and additional charge for radon testing, I discovered, one must be certified to test and certified to do remediation. At the next house I put an offer on, I had it tested by a certified radon inspector… and had a radon remediation system installed (also by certified installer) prior to moving in. So far, so good.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
I tested my own home and it was below the EPA’s action limit of 4 Picocuries per liter of air. Some homes and building in this area exceed the limit. By law all federal building need to be tested yet schools do not.
This doesn’t make sense. I asked to have are school tested and in the basement it showed some of the highest levels recorded 50-75. Mitigating commercial buildings is very expensive compaired to private homes.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
We have a radon detection system in the laundry room. We monitor it.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
I wrap my underwear in aluminum foil to diflect radioactive particles. The crinkling is kind of noisy but it works!
[Reply]
Jimmy McCurry reply on January 12, 2009 11:44 pm:
That is a good one.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Nothing.
As a scientist and environmental professional with basic knowledge of statistics and probability, I am much more concerned that I’ll die from being in a car accident, an infection, skin cancer, hit by lightning, drowning, the effects of hypothermia, or being mauled by a bear.
[Reply]
Geri reply on January 12, 2009 2:46 pm:
So, Bruce are you saying you wouldn’t advise people to test their homes? I have yet to do it, but always feel pressured to do so. Whats your opinion?
[Reply]
Jeremy reply on January 12, 2009 6:17 pm:
Fatal Vehicle Crashes (2007) - 37,248
Melanoma - 8,110
Lightning - ~60
Drowning (2005) - 3,582
Hypothermia - 600
Bears - <5
Radon - 21,000
Most radon test kits are less than $25, pretty small price to pay from a risk reduction standpoint.
[Reply]
Lynne Eldridge MD reply on January 12, 2009 9:57 pm:
Thanks Jeremy! In this economy you stroked my
be a “good frugal mother” back.
Budget for 2008:
Radon Detection Kit - $14 (MN hardware store)
Summer sunscreen for family of 6 - $100 plus
Upgrade safety package on my vehicle - $2300
Lifejackets (for 6) - $240
Long underware (for 6) - $160
In MN, hats, gloves, spider jackets, snowpants,
turtle necks, sweaters from Norway - $you don’t
want to know
Bear bells for hiking Yellowstone - $48
Lightning - well… the kids run inside at the first sound of thunder
[Reply]
Jimmy McCurry reply on January 12, 2009 11:55 pm:
So Bruce, you mean that this radon situation might be blown out of proportion by some governmental scientist that is trying to keep his job? WOW. Hey did you just hear that we are now in a global cooling cycle and a lot of scientists are jumping ship on the global warming theory?
[Reply]
Dwaine reply on January 13, 2009 9:10 am:
With Radon being such a big problem you would think there is some way to get your house tested for free. Does any one provide these kits to homeowners. EPA?, etc.
[Reply]
Lynne Eldridge MD reply on January 13, 2009 10:07 am:
Dwaine,
Check with your state health department. Several states are offering free or reduced cost radon
tests kits this month (Radon Awareness Month). For example, the state of Illinois is offering 10,000
free kits to residents that request them. Perhaps others out there know of other options for low
cost or free kits?
[Reply]
Anonymous reply on January 14, 2009 4:50 pm:
Thanks Lynne I will check with TDEC here in TN.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
I try not to be so rad when I’m at home.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Nothing yet - too expensive. We just don’t go downstairs much.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
1. the carbon test method is really a poor way to go. Turnaround time is too long so it’s hard to determine if any changes caused a reduction in radon. I found the radon detector “Safety Siren Pro Series3 Radon Gas Detector” from Amazon quite accurate and much more convenient to use. I’ve lent mine to several friends and the ones that have had the mail-in carbon test confirmed readings from the detector are very close to their mail-in results.
2. My reading was a bit on the high side in the winter. Ranged from about 9-14 in the basement. In the other seasons, basement was 4-8 because there was more outside air flow.
3. I installed a radon fan from the sump tank to the outside of the house. Cost about $150 in parts and supplies. ($125 was for the radon fan). I picked the lowest power consumption radon fan I could find. (I want low radon, but also want to be as ‘green’ as possible.) I found a unit that was about 18W. I vented outside at about knee level. It’s windy where we are so I didn’t see the need to get it up to the roofline like I see so many other installs. Basement radon levels dropped to below 1 in the summer and is about 2 in the winter.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
After testing our new home and getting a reading of 17 pc/L, we got quotes for remediation in the $1,000-1,200 range. After looking on the Web for do-it-yourself systems, we were able to complete the entire job in about 3 hours at a total cost of $400. Two subsequent re-tests brought the reading down to 0.2 and 0.3, far below the EPA action level of 4.0 pc/L.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
We have a radon mitigation system installed in our home. We had a slight radon problem when we moved into the house and now the ventilation system runs 24 hours a day.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
I dont know about radon gas but i can tell you that iam dying from the poison in CCA treated wood that i think in ten years will make #one on your lung cancer list
[Reply]
January 12th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Prior to purchasing our home in 2005, we had a home inspection and randon test performed. After the home inspection and radon test, we were told the radon level was at 6.0. Prior to purchasing and moving in, we had a radon remediation system installed by a certified installer. We test the home regularly. Today the level holds at a constant 2.5. I can sleep easier with this level.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
We did the short-term test on the main floor, living area of our one-year-old home in Pennsylvania and found a radon activity level >4 pC/l. The EPA website showed most of our part of the state in the radon “red” zone, so we went with the long-term test (six months). That test result was also over the recommeded level. Because I am a recovering smoker of 19 years and also aware of the synergistic effect, we had radon mitigation installed by a local registered company. The subsequent test in the basement (worst case) showed <1.6 pC/l after mitigation. One nice side benefit is that the basement no longer smells like musty concrete.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
We live in an area where radon is known to occur in some homes above the 4 pc/L limit. I am usually not too concerned about it but my son had a bird that had a birth defect but also had a bone disorder. The bird was pretty young when it died so I did some research suspecting radon may have contributed to the bird’s death although it did have a heart defect. The Vet did an autopsy discovering the bone disorder so I thought I would check radon in the house. I suspected the radon may have disrupted the bone development, but I have no real good proof. The radon was 4.8 pc/L on a sunny day. I did not have it checked when it was raining or the ground was frozen since both can contribute to higher reading in a basement. At any rate I added a radon system to the house. It seemed to help keep the basement dryer. We moved to a new house and checked the radon with the 48-hour homeowner kit that must be sent to a lab and decided to just add the radon system even though it was again just over the 4.0 limit. I believe there are added benefits to keeping the sub slab dryer.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
During construction of new home - had radon tube installed - no fan just the tube - under the basement concrete floor and vented through the roof. No problem - added a few dollars to the construction - a lot easier to do it at that time than wait and be required to install something when the house is on the market.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
Living in an area where 1 in 3 homes have elevated radon levels, I have not only tested my own home, but continually recommend testing to neighbors, friends, strangers walking their dogs down my street, and even the check-out man at the hardware store. As a physician and a lung cancer journalist for the New York Times site, About.com, my heart breaks every day as I listen to people who wish they could go back in time and test their homes. They wonder why they didn’t take 15 minutes and spend $20 to test for an entirely preventable cause of lung cancer before it was too late. Please test your homes. If not for your sake, for that of your spouse, children, pets… If you need even further motivation (humor can bring light to many topics) check out this entry on 10 “New” reasons to test your home for radon: http://lungcancer.about.com/b/2009/01/07/radon-awareness-month-10-new-reasons-to-test-your-home-for-radon.htm
[Reply]
January 12th, 2009 at 11:49 pm
I’m more worried about saving up for the leaky roof that needs to be replaced. If I don’t get that repaired my wife is going to do a lot more damage to me than any radon gas ever would. Maybe our New President will help me with a bailout plan for leaky roofs.
[Reply]
January 13th, 2009 at 7:47 am
I had my home tested before I bought it and the seller and I split the cost of installing a remediation system.
[Reply]
January 13th, 2009 at 11:08 am
Nothing. Living in a moderate radon zone, I have not seen the need to test. I am a nuclear and environmental profesional and understand the properties and effects of radon. My previous residence was in a higher radon zone. Making sure that the lower areas, i.e. basements, crawlspaces, etc, are well ventillated is the first step to allowing radon to escape and not build up to dangerous levels.
Beware of the testing scams out there. There are some true professionals, but some crooks, as well. Home testing kits are ok but not as effective as more costly and sophiscated equipment used by detection specialists.
If you live in a high radon zone, based on the EPA Mapping System, read up on Radon on the EPA website and make a decision for yoursefl. If could be a smart move on your part.
[Reply]
January 13th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
We aren’t doing anything really. San Fernando Valley California is not a radon area as far as I know, and we are on the curve of the bowl in a hillside community.
[Reply]
January 14th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
I tested my house once. No radon registered at all. But it if had, I would have fixed it. There’s a waaay greater chance of dying from radon-caused lung cancer than from lightning or a bear attack - Bruce’s risk comparisons seem rather emotionally derived.
[Reply]