Radon?

[Ozz]

Doesn't sound good, does it? Even if I didn't know it is caused by the break-down of Uranium, and omits gas that isn't like Aunt Edna's, smells bad but won't hurt you much. Radon doesn't smell bad and can cause cancer and bad stuff. As a matter of fact it does not smell at all and you have to test for it.
When I cut a 5" wide trench and a approx 30" hole for an extra sump pump, I got a test kit and tested for it. Get them at hardware stores, un-cap two cannisters for 4 days, send them in with $30.00 and you get a result back in a week or two. Concrete can be porous and emit Radon gas right through the concrete, you don't even have to cut it. I ran another test about 8 years ago here.
My average level was 3.1 pCi/L the average level across the U.S. is 1.3 pCi/L The EPA's 'Action level' is 4 pCi/L
So, I guess we are Ok.
If you haven't checked your basement in your stick home, it would be a good idea.
This explains it better than my mumblings abut it:
http://www.radonseal.com/radon-indoor.htm

[Bruce Lenhardt]

Good advice Ozz. We had ours checked about three years ago and it was above the safe level. Had a company come out and check it with their equipment and it was indeed too high. They put in an system that pulls the Radon from under the basement floor and exhausts it out the roof to the tune of $1000. Even though it was expensive I am glad it is done.

[Ozz]

Thanks. I'm glad you checked it, nothing to mess with.

[DQDick]

At least for a time, in Kansas, you could get kits from the county extension agent and KState tested for no charge. More people had issues than you could imagine. The fractured limestone out here was letting it seep to near basements and then a crack would bring it into the home.

[kab449]

Live in a hot spot for it-Central PA. A study was done that correlated the presence of Radon Gas with incidents of cancer in our area. Results were pretty convincing about the cause and effect. Our house is good.

[DQDick]

That's what they were saying in central Kansas also. Almost as much lung cancer from Radon as from smoking.

[Farmhawk]

Had ours checked a number of years ago and had a reading of 44 PCi/L, we had a company come in an now it is at a very acceptable level of 1.2.

[mlh]

Western Va has radon too. So you can add us to the list, in fact we have one of the largest uranium deposits in the world. Be safe.
Lynwood

[Chip]

We had the air and the water tested in our home. Both high! So installed two systems, one for the air and one for the water. The water system was expensive!

[Ozz]

quote:Originally posted by Chip

We had the air and the water tested in our home. Both high! So installed two systems, one for the air and one for the water. The water system was expensive!

I hope to raise awareness on the Radon deal, a silent killer.
On your water system, what did you do?
We installed a Reverse Osmosis system on ours, I noticed the water was not sweet tasting like it usually is, so I changed the carbon filter out yesterday, now it is back to the old sweet-tasting water. I think the life of it is only around 3 or 4 month's.
About $12.00 for a 2-pack at hardware stores.

[mlh]

Thanks, This is a problem that needs to be raised but it's not easy to get a picture for the 6 O'Clock news.
Lynwood

[Ozz]

I remember seeing a feature on it, I think it was on 'This old house' but I am not sure.

[PackerFan]

When we bought our house in Wisconsin we had to have it tested for Radon. We were told it is law when selling/buying houses in Wisconsin. That area is real high for Radon. The test proved positive and we had to have a removal system installed that pulls the air out from under the slab and expells it out through the roof. Felt alot better about using the basement afterwards.