RADON Matters - What is all the fuss about?

Earlier this month I took a 3 hour CE class on "Mold, Meth, & Radon" from a competent home inspector.  These are my notes from part 3: Radon

I finally took my own advice and I just ordered my very own $8 test kit.  After reading this detailed email, I hope you will join me and do the same.

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PREVENTABLE CAUSE OF DEATH

If you haven't heard, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer behind smoking.

30% of the homes in Utah are above the EPA's "safe" levels.  In much of the northern half of the US, that percentage is even higher.

Fortunately, radon exposure is relatively inexpensive to remediate with systems ranging from $800 to $2,500, with the average about $1,200.

As homeowners with our own families, as landlords concerned with the safety of our tenants, and as rehabbers too we need to be prepared with this info.

WHAT IS RADON?

Radon is the radioactive breakdown of uranium in the soil. There is about 1 teaspoon of uranium in each "dump truck load" of soil in our region. Radon is a colorless, odorless gas that easily mixes with the air and seeps in through basement walls and groundwater sources. 

Where are you on the map?  We asked about local city maps, but the instructor doesn't provide them anymore because the results are too unpredictable. There have been homes NEXT DOOR to each other where one has tested okay and the other is high. The only thing to do is test ALL homes.

Radon is measured in "picoCuries per liter" and 4.0 pCi/L is the "Action Level" for the whole USA - or the threshold the at which the EPA says remediation must be done.

Radon Levels:

• 0.3 pCi/L is the average outdoor level
• 1.5 pCi/L is the the average indoor level in Utah, with ranges from .8 to 2.7 being typical.
• 2 pCi/L or less is the target level after remediation

Non-Smokers' chances of getting lung cancer:

• 20 pCi/L 36/1000
• 4 pCi/L 7/1000
• 2 pCi/L 4/1000

Smokers' chances of getting lung cancer with the added risk of radon exposure are about 8x higher: 

• 20 pCi/L 260/1000
• 4 pCi/L 62/1000
• 2 pCi/L 32/1000

30% of all homes in Utah are above the Action Level.  How about your state?

I was thinking that if radon comes through the soil, then my own home is probably fine because I am close to the base of a big mountain, and I sit on lots of rock. But the inspector promptly burst my bubble by saying "granite has more uranium, so homes near the mountains typically test higher." 

TESTING

Once you order your $8 test kit, you can do your own short term test. Your house is supposed to be closed for 12 hours prior to beginning the test. This small test kit uses a charcoal canister. 

But you may be selling a home and the buyer may order a radon test. The company may have a tamper-proof electronic testing machine. For example, it can tell if you have opened a window nearby, or if you bumped the machine. The seller must usually sign a "do not tamper" agreement. Sometimes a second test is run, but the results are averaged.

During the test, you are not to operate any fans that bring in outside air. This will invalidate the test.

They must only test in areas that could be livable, so if your rehab has a shelf basement that is unlivable, don't let them test down there.

The test kit or machine should be 

• 20 inches above the floor. This is probably to simulate the height of the head while sleeping.
• 3 feet away from any window
• 3 feet away from any door
• Test in a bedroom
• Test by an interior, not exterior wall

REMEDIATION 

If the test shows a level at or above 4.0 pCi/L then the homeowner is obligated to install a radon system. 

If the results are above 2.0, but less than 4.0, then it is still recommended, but not required.

A basic system consists of a 4 inch tube inserted into below the level of the concrete slab. This is attached to a fan that sucks out the bad air under the house and vents it above the roof line, as in the following pictures. Technically, the vent must extend 2 feet above the windows.

The basement slab should have all seems, edges, and cracks sealed with an approved sealant. There are passive and active systems. An active system has a fan that runs 24/7. If the basement slab was poured correctly, then once the hole is bored in the floor, you should find a 4" base of pea gravel. This is how the air travels from the under the whole house. The company may drill a 1" hole on the opposite side of the house and test the system by seeing if smoke from a match is being drawn in. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

1. If you see a house with a radon system installed, you should feel SAFER than if you see a house with no installed system. Why? With an operating system then you know the house is safe-- compared to the unknown status of the other home that has a 30% chance of being unsafe.

2. Don't be surprised if your end-buyer comes back with a high test result and asks you to put in a $1,200 radon system. You can contest the result, but another test will be run and the results will be averaged.

3. Test your own home and prevent lung cancer. 

LINKS

https://youtu.be/TOcFmv58v04 <-- Great Radon video by a lung cancer doctor 

https://www.epa.gov/radon  <-- EPA Radon page

Order a test kit   <-- Order your $8 test kit here.