Radon...anyone have issues or been tested?

[TK-421]

So in the process of selling my house and they required a Radon test. House was built in 2004, so did not think much of it.
Well the radon test came back at a level 10!
Level 4 is acceptable, from what I was told.

So now I have to put in a mitigation system, before I can close. $835 total, not as bad as I thought, but an expense I really did not want.

So thinking it would never happen to me, it now worries me. When we do find a new house to live it I know that radon testing is a part of the deal now, but I may just input a mitigation system just to be safe.

Anyone else have radon or test for radon?

[JadeGiant]

not that I know of ... what is the impact of having radon?

[TK-421]

Radon is a cancer causing, radioactive gas :(

When you breathe air containing radon you increase your risk of getting cancer. From what I have read radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US.

I have heard of radon, but never really thought much abou it until now.

[JadeGiant]

Yikes! Time to look into getting a test!

[lord odin]

Very bad mojo you can buy a test kit at Home Depot.

[Bullseye]

We have built in systems of a radon barrier and sump under the floor to cope here. Its generally associated with certain sub rocks like Granite. You can buy a home kit and monitor it.

[JadeGiant]

Very bad mojo you can buy a test kit at Home Depot.

thanks lo - I am on this!

[wolverinejedi007]

As a home inspector I highly recommend getting a radon test for a potential home buyer. I had to be certified to test for radon and licensed by the state. But any home owner can test for radon with a simple test kit from Loews or Home Depot.

[Mysterio]

When we bought our house, the radon came back a little higher than we liked. We had a radon mitigation system put in and the re-test came back extremely low. Yes, you'll have a pipe running along the side of your house (vertically) but they can be discreet and it's worth knowing the radon is being dealt with. Sounds like radon usually occurs when the ground is disturbed due to construction.

[qz33]

Anyone care to give more details about what is actually done about Radon? I see lots of ads for test kits but if you have it what is there that can actually be done.

We live in house with a full basement that is built on a solid concrete pad. Never could imagine what could be done with it?

[nbr3bagshotrow]

Anyone care to give more details about what is actually done about Radon? I see lots of ads for test kits but if you have it what is there that can actually be done.

We live in house with a full basement that is built on a solid concrete pad. Never could imagine what could be done with it?
You usually have a ventilation system installed to remove the gas from your home. The dangerous part of Radon gas is having it accumulate in your home.

[qz33]

Oh so you mean it filters out the radon gas from the air?

[nbr3bagshotrow]

Oh so you mean it filters out the radon gas from the air?
I don't think it filters it but more like channels it out of the house.

[qz33]

Ok I tried looking some of it up but it seems hard to understand how it can get just radon out of the house if it is sitting on concrete like ours is.

Seems to always be a lot of emphasis on testing but I've never found much about solutions.

[m.s.Woods]

Radon naturally seeps out of the ground, it is more a geographic problem than anything. IMO Radon isn't worth dealing with, it is a heavy gas that collects at the lowest point of your home. Radon isn't treated, it is just vented out of the house (mitigated). Unless you are spending an inordinate amount of time laying on the floor of your basement, I don't think it has much of an impact... you are more likely to get cancer from a million other things before you get it from Radon.