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So the EPA recommends a randon fan installed if your radon level tests at 4.0 or higher.
Our basement tested at 3.9. We live in Colorado so radon is very common here and is found in a lot of homes. Many homes have radon fans installed.
When we bought the house we didn't ask them to do remediation although I'm kind of wishing we did. The levels on the test varied from the 1.5 range all the way up to 5.5 range, depending on the time of day.
We don't use our basement often although it is finished living space. The levels are apparently cut in half as you go up each level of the house. Based on this analogy our bedrooms would have negligible if any radon. Our basement is a garden level, not a walk out so there is a crawl space area with ground soil adjacent to our storage area/ furnace/ water heater, etc. This is the location where the inspector placed the radon test.
We will probably bite the bullet and have the fan installed. It won't hurt our home value here because it is so common. I'm just wondering what other people would do in this scenario and if I am over reacting.
Honestly I would spend money SEALING UP THE CRAWL SPACE long before I would spend anything on "fans" for radon remediation. The improvement in not just "radon levels" but overall air quality and utility will be IMMENSELY greater with a nice hard surfaced crawl space than having exposed soil...
We have a system in my house, our reading is .5, I'd look into installing one. They are cheap to run, only cost 1000-1500 and are at the very least a piece of mind. You can read up on radon and see a lot of back and forth arguments but better safe than sorry in this scenario.
So the EPA recommends a randon fan installed if your radon level tests at 4.0 or higher.
Our basement tested at 3.9. We live in Colorado so radon is very common here and is found in a lot of homes. Many homes have radon fans installed.
When we bought the house we didn't ask them to do remediation although I'm kind of wishing we did. The levels on the test varied from the 1.5 range all the way up to 5.5 range, depending on the time of day.
We don't use our basement often although it is finished living space. The levels are apparently cut in half as you go up each level of the house. Based on this analogy our bedrooms would have negligible if any radon. Our basement is a garden level, not a walk out so there is a crawl space area with ground soil adjacent to our storage area/ furnace/ water heater, etc. This is the location where the inspector placed the radon test.
We will probably bite the bullet and have the fan installed. It won't hurt our home value here because it is so common. I'm just wondering what other people would do in this scenario and if I am over reacting.
Curious, how old is the house? Common sense would say that when radon is as common as it is in CO most AHJ's require a radon vent system (which is nothing more than a gravel filled pit with a piece of 4" PVC stuck in it, under the concrete slab, vented out the roof, in extreme circumstances a booster fan is connected in-line with the vent). So, when you said you wished you had asked for the remediation I assume you meant have the seller install before closing?
Our house is 34 years old so back when they were building it wasn't a requirement. Many new construction homes around here have them included with the house.
Yes, we could probably have the crawl space finished but it is an area that is kind of above and adjacent to the main basement area so it isn't really usable space other than for additional storage. The inspector did say if we sealed it with plastic it would probably reduce the radon levels.
Curious, how old is the house? Common sense would say that when radon is as common as it is in CO most AHJ's require a radon vent system (which is nothing more than a gravel filled pit with a piece of 4" PVC stuck in it, under the concrete slab, vented out the roof, in extreme circumstances a booster fan is connected in-line with the vent). So, when you said you wished you had asked for the remediation I assume you meant have the seller install before closing?
So normally if your levels are above 4.0 you can agree to get the seller to pay for the fan. In our case 3 other people were offering on our house and there was a back up offer so we were nervous about asking for too much. We really loved this house and didn't want to lose it to another buyer.
Look at it this way, if you ever sell the house you are probably going to end up paying for a radon mitigation system anyway. If you pay now it will cost less and you won't think about it every time you go down into the basement.
So normally if your levels are above 4.0 you can agree to get the seller to pay for the fan. In our case 3 other people were offering on our house and there was a back up offer so we were nervous about asking for too much. We really loved this house and didn't want to lose it to another buyer.
As the seller, leave windows open during the Radon testing. It will become a non-issue.....LOL
Fans don't cost a lot to install, and there are several benefits.
First, you are positive that the radon levels will be low.
Second, you will lower the humidity in the house.
Third, you will likely increase the value of the house because you have a system installed.
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