Radon Testing

We are planning on buying a home in Broadlands and Radon testing is optional. Has anyone here had a Radon test performed on their house and what were the results?

Thanks.

 

We moved in last year at about this time. Radon testing was optional, but we had our home inspector do it. The results came back fine. For peace of mind, I'd recommend doing it. In the overall picture of getting a new home, it's a small cost though I readily admit that I have no idea if radon is even a problem for homes in this area. Better safe than sorry in my opinion.

 

Radon levels can vary greatly from lot to lot. Even though your next door neighbor may have a low reading, you can easily have a very high one. You need to get it tested and vented if necessary.

 

Has anyone had their house vented?

 

We tested twice prior to finishing our basement, a short and a long term test, and both were in the high range. We had a vent installed to mitigate the gas and it is very successful. Here are the numbers to support the expense of a vent: Our short test came in at 6.6 pCi/L and our 3 month test was 4.5 pCi/L, anything above 4 and the EPA recommends action. After our fan was installed we ran another test and it came back at .7 pCi/L. To me this is an amazing reduction. We used Radon Control Professionals, Inc. and were very pleased with their work. Radon all depends on your location and my next door neighbors test and others around me have been low, I just happened to have whatever produces the radon below me. Check out http://www.radonremediation.com/

 

Wow, that is a great reduction.

Is the "vent" intrusive at all?
Is the fan in your attic?

Was it expensive to have done?

Thanks for the info!

 

The vent goes under the slab of concrete in my basement and is routed out the side of my house and the fan is mounted just outside my home and runs continuously "sucking" the radon from my foundation and is then vented up and away from my home. We planted a large bush to cover the fan up. There is a new gutter that matches my other gutters that is used to route the gas up to the top of my house.
With the radon level I was at, I really had no option other than having it installed not only for my needs but if I ever have to sell this home it would have to be done anyway. There are other options if you have lower test results that are as simple as caulking up all of the cracks in the basement with a special caulk to seal yourself away from the gas. This would be an option if your results are in the 2-4 range.
Who knows, maybe this whole radon scare will just turn out to be a hoax, but there are some frightening statistics about lung cancer from radon.
Good luck with your test.

 

Also I would recommend to anyone finishing their basement to test for radon before construction begins in case you want to fix a potential problem.

 

A tip for anyone selling a house. There are various radon gas guidelines on the EPA web site but the testing guideline specifically states that radon testing should be performed in the lowest, liveable area. An unfinished basement is not a liveable floor but a finished basement is.

So, if you're selling and the buyer wants to test for radon gas, make sure you have something in your contract that states you will only remediate for high levels on your lowest liveable floor if your basement is unfinished. I paid $750 to remediate the radon gas in the unfinished basement of my last house in Sterling 3 years ago because I didn't know this and neither did my real estate agent.

 

GCyr,

What were your levels in the house in Sterling - Before and after you paid the $750?

Did you test your current house for Radon?

Thanks!

 

rlab,

Sorry, I don't remember what the levels were before and after, and I haven't test my home in Broadlands. I have an unfinished basement and have no plans to finish it.