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OK....having personally performed thousands of radon tests, I have NEVER observed any measureable impact by granite countertops and I've tested on a large number of slabs. While it may be theoretically possible, it is statistically highly unlikely. That said, placement of the tester (or cannisters) can have a significant impact on the accuracy of the test. If I had a reading of 4.1, which is just over the EPA action level, I would recommend a followup test.
OP, don't hesitate to contact me directly by DM if you would like.
Hi everyone,
Thank you all for your help (and carcrazy, for your very generous offer!). Unfortunately, the crawlspace is not "sealed", whatever that means, so the quote we were given was $3300. That is WAY more expensive than I thought it would be! This is from a certified radon remediator with excellent reviews online. Does this seem reasonable or should I continue to look around? :/
Hi everyone,
Thank you all for your help (and carcrazy, for your very generous offer!). Unfortunately, the crawlspace is not "sealed", whatever that means, so the quote we were given was $3300. That is WAY more expensive than I thought it would be! This is from a certified radon remediator with excellent reviews online. Does this seem reasonable or should I continue to look around? :/
First, never hurts to get a second quote, but I don't be too surprised if the second quote is in same ballpark.
Second, you may be in better shape here already than you realize, because for $3300 you'd be not only solving the radon problem, but getting a crawl that's sealed up the piers and walls (which is about the only level of sealing most crawlspaces need to qualify as sealed). A lot of people pay $5k all day long for a sealed crawl by itself with no radon considerations, then learn later they have a newly introduced radon problem.
So you're solving radon problems while staving off future humidity/floor damage issues, termites etc. all at once.
Basically the quote doesn't sound that bad considering.
Just be sure not to settle for a thin (6mil) vapor barrier for that price, get something thicker.
Hi everyone,
Thank you all for your help (and carcrazy, for your very generous offer!). Unfortunately, the crawlspace is not "sealed", whatever that means, so the quote we were given was $3300. That is WAY more expensive than I thought it would be! This is from a certified radon remediator with excellent reviews online. Does this seem reasonable or should I continue to look around? :/
Like the person above me said, yeah that's a significant amount of work because you don't have a sealed vapor barrier. It would be a MASSIVE benefit to the health of the house to do that crawlspace work. Frankly, I would consider a vapor-barrier to be a must-have in any of my homes.
If I were in your shoes, I would try and get the seller to split the cost with me.
Typical cost of radon remediation these days is less than $1500 (in most cases). Is the company offering to also seal the crawlspace??? If you have no vapor barrier, it is strongly recommended you have one installed to prevent moisture from migrating up into the house via the "stack" effect.
Typical cost of radon remediation these days is less than $1500 (in most cases). Is the company offering to also seal the crawlspace??? If you have no vapor barrier, it is strongly recommended you have one installed to prevent moisture from migrating up into the house via the "stack" effect.
Radon mitigation in a crawl requires that the crawl be "mostly" sealed, because the ducts for the radon to escape must be installed underneath the vapor barrier. And of course the vapor barrier must be airtight around the piers and walls for the fan to pull the radon through the ducts. So basically it's not possible to mitigate radon in a crawl without partially sealing the crawl.
I think the OP is kind of fortunate to have the opportunity to handle both with one payment, it's usually the other way around -- the homeowner spends a lot of money on crawlspace sealing, only to find the act of sealing resulted in elevated radon levels. Which of course requires partially resealing. The $1500 radon remediation cost people speak of is usually either in a basement (no vapor barrier, vent goes into slab) or an add-on cost to an already sealed vapor barrier.
My Pennsylvania based experience is radon is more associated with underlying granite releasing products into a basement. Raleigh has no granite and few basements. Where did you find a house with a subsurface basement?
My Pennsylvania based experience is radon is more associated with underlying granite releasing products into a basement. Raleigh has no granite and few basements. Where did you find a house with a subsurface basement?
Lots of homes without basements have high radon readings around here. My local experience is that more energy efficient home designs and improvements like better sealed crawls and basements, tighter windows and house wraps, etc. seem to have led to higher radon levels inside the homes.
Radon mitigation in a crawl requires that the crawl be "mostly" sealed, because the ducts for the radon to escape must be installed underneath the vapor barrier. And of course the vapor barrier must be airtight around the piers and walls for the fan to pull the radon through the ducts. So basically it's not possible to mitigate radon in a crawl without partially sealing the crawl.
I think the OP is kind of fortunate to have the opportunity to handle both with one payment, it's usually the other way around -- the homeowner spends a lot of money on crawlspace sealing, only to find the act of sealing resulted in elevated radon levels. Which of course requires partially resealing. The $1500 radon remediation cost people speak of is usually either in a basement (no vapor barrier, vent goes into slab) or an add-on cost to an already sealed vapor barrier.
I am quite familiar with the process of radon remediation and agree with "most" of what you are saying. However, it is indeed possible to remediate radon without sealing the crawlspace. Not common, and I wouldn't recommend it, but possible as I have seen it done successfully many times.
The cost of installing a vapor barrier around here typically runs $500-$800 depending on the size of the footprint. The vast majority of houses in our area already have a vapor barrier as it has been required by code for many, many years with an exception for well-drained soil (which for the most part we do not have).
First, never hurts to get a second quote, but I don't be too surprised if the second quote is in same ballpark.
Second, you may be in better shape here already than you realize, because for $3300 you'd be not only solving the radon problem, but getting a crawl that's sealed up the piers and walls (which is about the only level of sealing most crawlspaces need to qualify as sealed). A lot of people pay $5k all day long for a sealed crawl by itself with no radon considerations, then learn later they have a newly introduced radon problem.
So you're solving radon problems while staving off future humidity/floor damage issues, termites etc. all at once.
Basically the quote doesn't sound that bad considering.
Just be sure not to settle for a thin (6mil) vapor barrier for that price, get something thicker.
All of the posts here were very helpful, but this one was key. I got a 2nd quote which was about $2100, but they use a 6 mil barrier whereas the more expensive company uses 15 mil. Longer warranty, too. I opted to go with the pricier, but hopefully more effective and longer-lasting, option.
Thanks again!
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