Radon level in US homes??

[D2B]

Ok, I have been doing my research for our potential move to the US, and I came accross the US EPA which talks about the health risks of radon levels in US homes in relation to lung cancer etc www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/hmbyguid.html, and the need to do tests before buying homes and so forth.

So my question is, is this a real threat, is it something you are aware of and mitigate yourselfes?? It all sounds a bit scary, especially when you get deeper into the various web sites and you read articles like this
www.news-releases.uiowa.edu/2006/january/012406radon_test.html

So have you heard of it before?
Do people take it seriously?
Has it affected you?
Did you get your house/school checked?
Any advice?

I thought PS would provide a good cross section of informed indiviudals, so curious to see what you have heard or think about this.

Thanks

D2B

 

[sumbride]

It has a lot to do with how the home is constructed and the geographical topography and location. Some areas are worse than others. I do remember that radon testing was on our list from our realtor, but he said it wasn''t common in our area so we didn''t have it done. It can be decided on a case by case basis, but in areas where it is a common problem, a test is usually required for sale.

 

[laine]

I didn''t do it when I bought my house, as my realtor had recently sold the townhouse two doors down and knew that it had tested fine. About two years later, I bought one of those self test kits from the hardware store, and found the radon levels were fine.

Growing up, we had our house professionally tested, and the test guy said the radon levels were so high in the basement that we kids shouldn''t go down there until we had the mitigation done (which I think is basically installing an exhaust fan--I was only about 6, so I don''t really remember).

Sumbride is right in that it really is a regional thing, but if you live in a region where its common, you should definitely get your house tested. Even if it isn''t common, its probably worth the $15 for a home test just for piece of mind. While its something to check on, its not a huge problem to deal with.

 

[CrownJewel]

Where I used to live in NJ, it was a given that your home would be tested for radon if you were trying to buy or sell. The house my parents bought actually had very high levels of radon, so we couldn''t move in until after the mitigation.

I also worked with an architect who did home inspections. It''s a really simple test...keep windows closed, place little tester canisters in the basement (or lowest level of the home) for a few days undisturbed, seal the canisters back up and send them to the lab. I think it''s charcoal in the canisters. If you are looking to buy a home, you could have the home inspector do a radon test.

I personally think it is taken seriously, but maybe that is just in NJ. A friend just bought a house in NYC and she said it is not a big deal in the Bronx...her house was not tested.

 

[rainydaze]

yes, we were made aware of it when purchasing both homes. it is a very real concern where we are located and we were sure to have both homes tested during the inspection. we tested our current home twice - it was borderline as to whether something really needed to be done; most ''experts'' said they wouldn''t worry about the level we recieved back. we did not ask the previous owners to do anything about it as part of the P&S agreement, we decided we would retest and do some more research and take care of it ourselves.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I''ve never heard of radon, but just checked a website and it said in my region, levels are very low.

There was a new elementary school built last year and I was concerned that there would be chemicals from the new paint and carpet that could harm the kids, and I mentioned this to another mom and she looked at me like I was loony! Most people aren''t up-to-date on potential health hazards.

 

[Elmorton]

I hadn''t even heard of radon until I was in grad school. My understanding is that you can self-test a home for very little money (there is a reference about that at the end of the uiowa article) - one of the grad programs at my alma mater made kits and gave them away.

Around here (Eastern IA), it''s very much the norm to have a home inspection before buying a house. I would ask your inspector to check for radon as part of the inspection. The inspection typically costs around $250 and the buyer pays for it - if something serious is found, then you can ask the seller to pay for the fix or you can opt out of the contract.

 

[D2B]

thanks for your replies. I must admit I have read the stuff on the websites and it has freaked me out. Cancer - arghhhhhhh it makes me very scared.

I just need to get perspective on it and learn how to deal with it and not stress about it.

It is doubly scary in a way as my home is my sanctuary, so they thought of those gases makes me very nervous.



D2B