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Old 07-16-2009, 08:51 PM
 
102 posts, read 391,300 times
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Hello folks -

I know the debate over radon has raged strong here and I'm really not looking to start that all over again. However, I'm curious to know if anyone has had difficulty selling their home because during a home inspection high radon levels were found.

Just curious. Thanks.
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Old 07-16-2009, 09:15 PM
 
Location: Brevard, NC
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Yes, when we were living in Florida. We were selling our townhouse to a relo company and and they tested for radon as a contingency of the sale. We weren't concerned as we were in an area of limestone, and had no basement, but the radon test came back positive and the sale was canceled. We were curious as to where the radon came from and were told that it may be coming from the concrete that made up our slab foundation. Apparently there can be some radium in concrete. The level wasn't astronomical, but just high enough to exceed the EPA guidelines.
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Old 07-17-2009, 04:54 AM
 
102 posts, read 391,300 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GaryH3 View Post
Yes, when we were living in Florida. We were selling our townhouse to a relo company and and they tested for radon as a contingency of the sale. We weren't concerned as we were in an area of limestone, and had no basement, but the radon test came back positive and the sale was canceled. We were curious as to where the radon came from and were told that it may be coming from the concrete that made up our slab foundation. Apparently there can be some radium in concrete. The level wasn't astronomical, but just high enough to exceed the EPA guidelines.
Thanks for the information. Did the reloc company have you mitigate? Can you even do so with a townhome?
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Old 07-17-2009, 06:57 AM
 
Location: Brevard, NC
165 posts, read 1,281,404 times
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Our suggestion was to bring in another company and do the radon test again, we were just so skeptical. That was not allowed, even if we were to pay for it ourselves. For mitigation, at our expense of course, we would have needed to pull up the carpets and have a sealant put on the slab. Then the house would be re-tested. If that didn't do it, and they were quick to note there was no guarantee, then they would put in some kind of exhaust system. They weren't able to tell us in advance how much that would cost us. So in the end we did not sell to the relo company and we rented the place out instead.
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Old 07-17-2009, 09:32 AM
 
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Whoa!!! That's would be my concern with a reloc company. Thanks for story.

I wonder if anyone has had a buyer (reloc or not) refuse to buy their house because radon levels were remediated.
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Old 07-17-2009, 01:43 PM
 
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When we were selling our house in Denver the inspection showed high levels of radon (just 1 point above the limit) so the buyers asked for mitigation - we counterd back with a request to retest - they agreed and we passed easily - the home was vacant and not having the heat / ac / air circulation going as if it was "normal living conditions" effected our result - had we not passed, we would have mitigated as I am sure no-one would be the home with above "passing" levels -

Even though Im not sold on Radon, I honestly would probably not buy a home that didn't pass with out mitigation prior to the sale either (of a great deal on the home so we could have it done).

Migitation would have run us between $900-$1500 so we were glad to avoid that extra cost!
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Old 07-17-2009, 02:27 PM
 
102 posts, read 391,300 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BusySocialWorker View Post
When we were selling our house in Denver the inspection showed high levels of radon (just 1 point above the limit) so the buyers asked for mitigation - we counterd back with a request to retest - they agreed and we passed easily - the home was vacant and not having the heat / ac / air circulation going as if it was "normal living conditions" effected our result - had we not passed, we would have mitigated as I am sure no-one would be the home with above "passing" levels -

Even though Im not sold on Radon, I honestly would probably not buy a home that didn't pass with out mitigation prior to the sale either (of a great deal on the home so we could have it done).

Migitation would have run us between $900-$1500 so we were glad to avoid that extra cost!
Good stuff. I'm actually looking at a home that came in at 4 but it also had been vacant for 8 months or so. I'm now suspicious if that had anything to do with it. Based on your experience, it might have.
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Old 07-17-2009, 03:33 PM
 
Location: Knoxville
4,705 posts, read 25,187,887 times
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First of all is is unlikely the radon level came from something IN the concrete.
Since radon has a half life of ONLY 3.8 days, it does not build up and build up until it bursts through the roof.

Radon level can be highest in a basement house because there is more surface foundation area in contact with the earth.
Second are slab homes, since the floor is in contact with the earth.
Least are crawslapce homes because they have a certain amount of natural ventilation in them. However, I have tested many homes with crawlspaces that had very high levels, so its not always "Oh, its a crawslapce, so it can't have radon".

To mitigate costs between $1000 and $2000, so its not really a financial reason to let a house sale go away.

Just my take, but Ive only been testing for radon since the 80's, so I may not have all the facts.
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Old 07-17-2009, 10:48 PM
 
186 posts, read 845,226 times
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I keep seeing people say "high" amounts. What is high? Every state has different levels now? EPA says 4 or 2 these days? The house I'm buying shows 11 as an average! With 16 as the highest. I have a thread on this, but it does make me wonder, what if I close and the mitigation doesn't work?
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Old 07-18-2009, 01:16 AM
 
3,020 posts, read 25,675,079 times
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Default You ask what is high????????????????

Quote:
Originally Posted by potatosoup View Post
I keep seeing people say "high" amounts. What is high? Every state has different levels now? EPA says 4 or 2 these days? The house I'm buying shows 11 as an average! With 16 as the highest. I have a thread on this, but it does make me wonder, what if I close and the mitigation doesn't work?
Try levels like at 3600. O' my O'my. Is that HIGH???????

Run, run, scream demand "Mitigation" or some other fancy sounding word.

What would happen to a person exposed to such a level? How long could they be expected to live?????

In fact that happens at regular intervals. Peeps are knowing exposed to extremely high levels (900 and above times this so called safe level) as part of what are known as spa's. In both the USA and Europe Radon is used as a type of medical therapy. There are known persons exposed to levels in the 3600 range for twenty years and more with no recorded ill effects. They are fully documented.

Like I always tend to do on this subject I will ask one of those wrong questions.

Can you name me one other supposely toxic substance where exposure to ultra high level, way, way above that thought safe, results in no supposely proven damage and no recorded deaths listed as the cause from the event in such a practice????

I only want one other example.............

In your other thread I will give you a rather complete answer. It can be a bit eye opening if you really understand some of the particulars behind some of the claims. Especially some of the history.

I'm not home right now, on the lap top, so will come back to the subject when I have a good keyboard. This is a subject I almost never pass up.

If you read my comments about asbestos, this is another example of an industry "That has Grown Up around some circumstances a bit vague"
The asbestos danger is very real in certain particular situations. This particular so called hazard I can not make hang together in any type of logical method. In fact when you ask the wrong questions it falls apart more than any other thing. It has not been for a lack of trying to find it is a hazard, I sure looked hard enough. To date everything point in the other direction.

Like with asbestos, I've actually had some pretty good known exposure too it for real. Can tell some war stories.

The day is late, I will come back to the subject later. Some of it can be very interesting, especially if you take a non-standard approach.

That said, just know on an everyday basis in the "Great Housing Industry" you will play the game their way or get your head chopped off. It will be pay to play or another way of saying "No Tickee, No Washee" Still it can be fun to understand what you think you just bought. Will do it in your other thread. Might be a couple days, I might party again tomorrow.
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