[tlknows]

My husband and I put an offer on this house in New Milford, CT and we just found out that the Radon level is 6.3. Has anyone purchased a home with radon levels higher that 4.0? If so, how did you correct the problem.

Thanks in advance.

[Viralmd]

Usually provision for radon abatement costs are written into the contract...

[HeadedWest]

Originally Posted by tlknows

My husband and I put an offer on this house in New Milford, CT and we just found out that the Radon level is 6.3. Has anyone purchased a home with radon levels higher that 4.0? If so, how did you correct the problem.

1. You should have remediation in the contract so that you don't have a problem when it comes time to sell. The seller can have a pump installed.

2. That said, don't worry overmuch about it. When I moved to State College, PA I moved into a high radon territory and I was concerned about a marginally high reading in the house I was buying. I spoke to a colleague at Penn State who researched radon, and he told me that there is no real problem under normal living conditions.

His basic point was this: there are geographic locations in the US that have very high radon due to the underlying geology, but the aggregate data on life expectancy and overall health measures in such areas is not significantly different from anywhere else, all else being equal. (If you spend all day working in a mine and chain smoking, you probably will be harmed by radon, but normal life doesn't seem to bring those risks.)

If there is serious evidence to the contrary, I'd like to know about it.

[sterlinggirl]

Some granite countertops contain uranium and are a source of radon.....but they look pretty.

[Rich Lee]

Originally Posted by sterlinggirl

Some granite countertops contain uranium and are a source of radon.....but they look pretty.

In some houses, the only source of Radon is the granite countertops!

[nspa]

We're getting our radon tests done this week, and yes we have new granite counters. Do you guys know if most radon testers will test the counters or not? The whole radon thing is new to us too so I don't really understand if they use geiger counters all over the house or have some other system for measuring it. Thanks!

[andthentherewere3]

I just read this week on another thread somewhere on City-Data about radon being released from granite. There is some kind of test available for the countertops, but I'm not sure how to go about doing it. It's a shame, I love granite. Our kitchen has corian countertops, but we are planning on granite for a bathroom remodel.

I just found the news article about it:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/24/ga...al&oref=slogin

[CrissCT]

Any update tlknows on the home you were purchasing? We just got our radon test back and it makes yours look good - ours was around 20! The home is in Burlington.

As far as granite countertops, I think the only issue with radon, while it can be found throughout the home, is in non-ventilated areas of the home (the basement). That is the only area that was tested in this home and in the previous homes we have bought and sold.

[AmyBergquist]

Radon should be tested in the lowest livable space, in many cases the basement. However, if you live in a split level and one of the levels is on a slab, both the basement and slab level should be independently tested.

[teamhog]

I can't seem to get the links to work in my post.

1st of all I'm an environmental engineer. You can go to www.teamhog.com for my cv.

Most of this information that has been posted is based on partial truths. I've read all of the posts and followed all of the links and researched all of the material.

Here's where you can find information about Radon. A simple two minute search on EPA found this.

EPA (Environmental Protection Agency):

Here's a list of information from the EPA re: Grantie Countertops and Radon/Radiation.

http://radiation.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/radiation.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php?p_sid=-Img9G9j&p_lva=5309&p_li=&p_accessibility=0&p_redir ect=&p_page=1&p_cv=&p_pv=2.186&p_prods=169%2C186&p _cats=&p_hidden_prods=&prod_lvl1=169&prod_lvl2=186 &p_search_text=&srch_btn_submit=%C2%A0%C2%A0%C2%A0 Search%C2%A0%C2%A0%C2%A0&p_new_search=1

Here's a webpage that has general information on radon in your home.
Radon | Radiation Protection | US EPA

NSC (National Safety Council):
Questions about Radon - Frequently Asked Questions About Radon - NSC

I hope we can clear this up a little bit...