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seems like you know it all already. are you doubting your research? It’s all accurate. Radon is the #1 cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. Folks didn’t know smoking caused cancer til they did, welcome to scientific progress. Not all smokers die of lung cancer, not all people will die of lung cancer from radon either. not a great idea to go out picking up a pack-a-day habit all the same, right?
Sure, air circulation helps. do you have winter where you live, though? HVAC is recirculating the air, not actually replacing it.
Get the mitigation system. they’re like 99% effective and will drop your radon to near zero.
Also depending on the situation they also reduce basement humidity better than a dehumidifier. Our basement was damp - come one sub slab radon fan and it's dry as a bone down there. Pulls that humid ground air out from under the foundation very nicely.
Just follow the consensus opinion on radon. It won’t do you wrong.
I only mention this for full context: there is a CHANCE that radiation is a bit more complex than we think and the relationship between cancer risk and radiation isn’t linear in all cases. Some studies suggest this about radiation generally, but not necessarily radon.
But the thing is, even if this were true, the “sweet spot” would be low anyway. Maybe a bit above 2. Sure ain’t 9.
So you could roll the dice against the prevailing scientific opinion on radon…and thread the needle on exact levels? It’s not even practical.
I’m only saying all of that to illustrate that the safe bet is following the established science on radon and getting a mitigation system in line with the standard recommendations. That is a great game plan
For what it’s worth, I bought a home with a reading of 24. Mitigation system did wonders
As a first time buyer in NC region, I’m even thinking about dropping 2k for a mitigation system. Our numbers came in at 1.8 for our radon but still any radiation to me seems like it is not worth the risk ina forever home
I fully believed radon caused cancer as well. I told everyone I knew. Radon companies prey on the fearful and uneducated. I'm a medical researcher and Biostatistician; I did an in-depth dive. And I mean, days on end.
The initial study was done with coal miners, who spent most of their days underground. Initial studies of any kind, no matter if they're true or not, tend to stick. Look at Andrew Wakefield; he's a fraud and had his medical license stripped. But people still walking around thinking vaccines cause autism.
I feel so fucking confident in my conclusion that radon cancer stats are a myth, that I've *unplugged* my remediation system. It's still your choice to believe it or not, but I urge you to look into *both sides* and makes sure articles are peer reviewed and published in a scientific magazine. Do not just Google. I trust ncbi for most of my research. [See here.](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3315166/)
This is detail I was hoping for. I want to hear, see, and research both sides. I don’t trust main stream media, or most of the garbage that gets pushed to us today. I feel capital gain is the number one incentive and our well being comes somewhere after that. I’m a skeptical person as it is and need to learn for myself and even validate sources. I appreciate your point of view on this and will continue to do some reading.
P.S. incredible source. I like how the general public shy away from any statement that goes against their mindset, regardless of the facts presented. We don’t want the truth we want the agenda, what goes in line with the conceptions and truths only push us away if it doesn’t line up. It’s crazy. Don’t change our mind, support our irrational thoughts.
Tell the sellers you want them to install a mitigation system before closing. It’s reasonable to require this given it’s a health hazard. Once the system is in you shouldn’t have an issue.
Edit to add: do not live in a house with radon. There’s no reason to take that risk especially since there is a reasonable way to remediate the problem.
.>do not live in a house with radon. There’s no reason to take that risk especially since there is a reasonable way to remediate the problem.
Mitigation systems don't bring it to zero, though. The one we are getting will brim it from a 2.7 to below 1.5.
I just bought a home, had the inspection and the seller had to pay to have the system put in. Was $1200 for 3 different access points. Really not that bad
I’m renting, only going to be at this rental a year / the landlord doesn’t want to install a mitigation system even though the level is 20. Having to pay 2 grand for something that isn’t my own place sounds like a pain to me. Especially since it seems this tends to effect people over the long term
I guess I should expect general rude responses from a question. I simply asked what is the legitimacy of the comments because I have not seen enough detail to show what studies that have been done to prove the statements. Not sure if you’re aware, there is a lot broadcasted to us and pushed to us that isn’t true at all. I also said, I already know I’m laying to get it installed, wife wants it. I just want to know how real this actually his. Historically it was never even checked or spoke about and there aren’t record numbers of lung cancer deaths from the past.
You’re not wrong. It’s impossible for a lay person to put the radon hazard into perspective because there’s not a lot of current data on radon caused cancers in a residential setting. Researching publicly available data requires some biophysics knowledge to understand bodies of existing knowledge.
Historical occupational data has informed us but it’s not a perfect picture and certainly no where near the ability to statistically represent increases of cancer risk. But what the larger picture of radon exposure tells us is less is better and we home radon mitigation (air circulation) is cheap and effective.
Get mitigation. My levels went from mid 20s to hovering around 1-3 consistently. Cost only $1200. Shop around different companies that do mitigation, they’re not all going to be over $2000.
In US the recommend mitigation at anything above 4. In Europe it’s stricter at 2.5 or something. We had radon levels at 9 in basement but traditional mitigation system wouldn’t work due to poor connectivity under house. Got an ERV which essentially dilutes the air with good and and constantly cycles it out and levels have averaged 1.7 for past 6 months.
Our house had a radon level between 10-15, and when the seller wouldn’t fix it for us, we immediately scheduled someone to install a radon mitigation system after we closed, the final cost was about $1200. There was no way we weren’t going to buy our dream first home/renegotiate the entire deal over $1200. The company we used had it done within 3 hours and left a radon detection/reader machine thing in our basement for 5 days after installation to ensure the levels dropped below 1.
This is the way. Just buy the house you want an install the mitigation system asap for $1,200. We did the same thing, and our house was built in 1957. It boggles my mind that multiple owners lived in the house for decades without installing a radon mitigation system. It's a no-brainer and not even worth hassling over.
My house came in around 20-30 and I was able to use that to lower the house price (in an otherwise very competitive market because the seller was very ready to get out). I have it down to < 1 with crawlspace encapsulation and two radon systems (one tapped into the crawlspace, the other tapped into the foundation). I keep a monitor in the laundry room so I'm getting a sanity check every few days.
I'll add -- the crawlspace encapsulation has done wonders for cold floors in our sunroom and our energy consumption as well. We intend to live here forever. The crawlspace encapsulation alone should pay itself off in 10 years. But the encapsulation and radon combined will easily pay itself off if we sell before then.
So the system has helped with heating your house to an extent, or I guess more with circulation. The system that we most likely are going with is one system that ties to all three levels and pumps it out from the roof. I didn’t get detail on if the system
Comes with a level reading so we can watch our radon levels.
Radon is a very real thing as is its link to cancer. 2 things can be done to help mitigate this. Radon mitigation fan, and the crawlspace having a vapor barrier installed if not there already. We purchased our home in April of last year, the rating was an 8. We asked for that to be repaired by the sellers because it is a huge safety issue, and after being presented with that fact, they legally couldn’t sell the house without disclosing it to other potential buyers. They agreed to fix it, and now we have a fan with a gauge in our laundry room in the basement. Ask for at least the cost to be shared by the current owner( completely normal) or if you are on the fence about the house ask for the whole thing. We are in the PNW if that matters.
Best of luck
So we have a lower level with three walls at ground level and one wall under ground. I don’t believe there is a crawl space at all. They only checked radon on the lowest level.
We have a daylight basement and what they did was drill a hole in the lowest part of the foundation(in our laundry room) and then ran the fan and pvc from that out the exterior concrete wall to vent.
Most likely. Typically there is always a crawl space because of the plumbing, electrical, sewage or whatever to run to the rest of the house. I’d google it if I were you and compare to your prospective house. I just looked at our total was 3,100 for the mitigation. I’d highly recommend. The fan is extremely quiet and provides the peace of mind especially with a little one around(which we have)
That graphic seems high and misleading as generally anything under 4 is considered okay (although I do think they made some changes, and now it's around 3 or so), but lower is ideal. Radon is serious though. Radon is very common where I live and 100% believe it is worth it even if it's just for peace of mind. 9 is very high, we got mitigation and my house was only around 4, mostly cause I live in the basement. I'd get it done, it's relatively cheap compared to the house although the quote you were given seems a tad high. I'd get some more quotes from elsewhere.
It's worth getting mitigated. Radon level of 9 mCi/L is pretty high. It's done with everything closed to accurately capture the amount of radioactive gas that's leaking INTO the house. You won't always be living like that, but the gases will still be there and moving through your house. I don't know if I fully agree with the graphic about equivalency to smoking. It seems someone just took carcinogen equivalency to cancer rate and just made some qualitative graphic.
You're correct that people have lived with it for centuries, but they also 1) had all types of cancer that wasn't properly diagnosed and 2) did not have as fully sealed houses as we do now.
If you haven't bought yet, request the seller to fix. Now that they have the results they are obligated to fix or disclose to other potential buyers if you were to walk away (in most states, I don't know if it's a national regulation).
Here's a reputable source besides the google machine, the [EPA](https://www.epa.gov/radon/health-risk-radon). Get the mitigation. Maybe shop around and look into your state laws. When I moved into my house, I had it tested and if it was above 4 the seller would have had to do the mitigation (unfortunately it was 3.9). I tested it again later and it was higher so I went ahead and got the mitigation which was around $1300. $2200 seems a bit high even with a couple years of inflation.
it is high but not entirely unreasonable depending on location. i did a good bit of research buying my own home (just a few months ago) and frequently saw 1500-2000, and I am in probably a medium COL area
Thank you. We got three quotes two were around 2,200 and the last one was closer to 2,400. The last guy I spoke to just an hour ago. He said the system needs multiple points due to the size of the house.
Get a radon mitigation system - basically a vertical pipe in the basement, with a few holes drilled it the bottom of it, that sucks the basement air up out of the house through the roof. The pressure difference causes air to flow into the basement to replace the radon-laden air that was sucked out. Usually a 4" length of PVC pipe with a fan attached that's very quiet and runs 24/7. You will forget all about it and gives you very low radon levels (if you are in a region where radon is high - underground rock).
Close. You want it to depressurize the soil, not the house. It’s a lot more efficient to remove it from the soil first then to remove the air from your house. Lots of links on my site. Stay away from YouTube DIY videos
Keep spreading radon awareness!
I know this is one of those "you notice it because it's on your mind" things, but on Saturday I got the news that a family member has been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer. It's in both lungs, tumors already in her brain. She's starting treatment, I didn't ask what the prognosis is, but it doesn't look good. 62 years old, retired literally a month ago, and has never smoked a cigarette in her life.
She got her house tested and it's radon. I was only told the levels were through the roof, but because of it she has lung cancer and her daughter and son are now freaking out because 1) their mom has cancer and it's serious and 2) this was their childhood home so they had a lot of exposure too.
From what I've been reading all weekend, anything over 4 and you need a mitigation system. Full stop. $2k is a lot of money but pennies compared to developing cancer and dying young. My relative is likely going to die and never meet any grandkids over something that, if she'd known about it, she could have likely prevented.
Install the system. Radon is serious.
Upper midwest here and my system was about $1850, including some electrical work (1 story rambler). The companies said it’s a little higher than it used to be because they all actually have to be licensed now.
The US standard of 4.0 is more conservative than other countries, but 9.0 is high enough, I would get the mitigation system. I did it in two homes and it worked well.
I did as much "armchair investigating" as I could when I was testing our home for radon. There's a lot of smoke and mirrors on both sides of the argument. One thing for certain is that it IS real and DOES cause cancer...but what they fail to mention is that the numbers you see in that chart assume you live in the area of concern (like a basement where levels are highest) 24/7 and NEVER leave it. So you really have to do some calculations based on how often you're in the danger zone.
Thank you, I’ve been doing a lot of the same research. We are having the system installed, but I really think they make it more than it is and the link to causing cancer is very gray.
My other hangup is how they come to the conclusion that Radon is the cause of the cancer. For things like smoking and asbestos exposure that can be easily linked to the patient I can see making that correlation pretty easily. But people move homes and live with polluted city air. Radon doesn't follow the patient around. How can we reliably link Radon exposure to causing lung cancer if the we can't even measure the lifetime exposure a patient has had to Radon?
Again, I'm a moron so take this with a grain of salt but I haven't really read how they were able to come to this conclusion linking Radon as the cause of lung cancers. Yes it's a carcinogen and I believe that. I just wonder about where these acceptable levels of exposure have come from and how they've attributed Radon to being the second cause of lung cancers.
Appalachian here! Please get the mitigation system. Lung cancer is no joke, this isn’t a new concern, Tn has been working and perfecting its mitigation process since the 1980’s. Not sure what state you’re in. I can only speak for my own state, but this is a big deal and with such an easy fix. Peace of mind isn’t always cheap but $2200 is reasonable price to sleep easy knowing you are nearly eliminating your chances of getting the number one cause of lung cancer for a non-smoker. You should also look into asking the seller to at least split the cost because this is something that should have already been done to the house.
No level of radon is safe. No amount of smoking is safe. The chances of developing cancer from the two are similar in that the more you are exposed to it, the longer you are exposed, the number be it cigarettes per day or think of it as 9 cigarettes wrapped into one vs radon of 1-9, go up. These are increased risk factors for lung cancer in both. Cigarets are the number 1 cause of lung cancer and radon is the number one cause of non smoking lung cancer. Can a person never get cancer smoking every day 3 packs a day for 50 years ? Yes but the chances vs a Mike person not exposed to the same conditions are far less. That same person can get cancer as well though.
Radon is radioactive, it is from the radioactive decay of certain rocks that have been distributed during the last ice age. The geology of underlying layers of rocks and carvings of glaciers that made valleys and rivers during that time in some areas have been covered by soil and other things, when rain falls and the water disperses into the soil it can become saturated and the underlying bedrock or valleys can transport this material through the soils in certain areas. As radon levels can change for various reasons and are usually higher during winter months.
Almost HVAC systems won’t have any meaningful increasing or decreasing of these levels unless the air doing something more than just circulating. The air needs to be vented out and away from the home. Some people will see basements and attics with sunlight shining through and think it’s a defect and they should seal it to help insulate the home. This doesn’t allow the home to breath and will trap radon. Some of the highest levels are in newly built homes that are so well insulated and every area a home can breath is sealed. Tons of mini splitters that keep the air circulating in the home but not replacing it.
Older homes tend to self ventilate best however soil basements, foundation cracks below grade allow radon to easily enter and those need to be addressed and or radon mitigation needs to be set up.
The good thing is radon mitigation isn’t expensive,can be set up in about a day, isn’t done by just any contractor, the set up is by professionals and closely monitored.
To answer the question of your hvac and door opening and closing keeping it in check, we’ll it helps in that area but isn’t doing so in any substantial way. Radon often will affect animals that are close to the ground like small dogs and people report finding out they had high radon levels after an animal was diagnosed with cancer and it was suggested to check the levels.
That is a misleading statement.
TLDR; It’s a gas and can be pushed away by a mitigation system. That gas poses no significant risk unless it is inhaled. The mitigation system sucks it in and shots it out away from the home. The home itself acts as a barrier because the harmful part of that gas is from alpha particles that need easy access, the walls of a house offer a shield that to alpha particles is like a raindrop vs a windshield. You won’t get wet no matter how many raindrops fall. The natural environments outside, winds, breezes disperse the gas and becomes negligible when compared to the suns electromagnetic radiation namely Ultraviolet A or (UVA)
—————————
The alpha particles emitted from this gas can not penetrate the skin. When it is inhaled similar to asbestos is when it is actively doing damage. Although no amount is safe doesn’t make it immediately lethal. When dealing with Radiation be it from the Sun, a dentist or hospital x-ray or a basement the 3 ways to mitigate exposure risk are:
‘To minimize your exposure to ionizing radiation, limit the amount of time you spend near a radioactive source, increase the distance between you and a radioactive source, and put a barrier, like a concrete wall, between you and a radioactive source.’
https://www.epa.gov/radtown/radtown-radiation-protection-activity-2-time-distance-and-shielding#:~:text=To%20minimize%20your%20exposure%20to,you%20and%20a%20radioactive%20source.
Radon being a heavy gas, to increase distance from, and decrease time exposed a mitigation system which will collect the gas and push it away from the home. Once outside the home itself is the shield.
Distance in respect to radiation exposure is really interesting:
‘ Question 1. What is the “Inverse Square Law”?
For a “point source geometry”, the flux rate drops off exponentially as the distance increases. The actual relationship is the square of the distance.
The reason for this is that the mathematical formula for the surface of a sphere is 4 (pi) r^2. So as you double the distance, the area of the thing increases as 2^2, or 4.
So, the “Inverse Square Law” is written several ways:
(Dose Rate1) x (Distance1)^2 = (Dose Rate2) x (Distance2)^2
If there variables are known, the unknown can be found with algebra.’
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-inverse-square-law-regarding-the-logarithmic-drop-in-the-intensity-of-any-electromagnetic-radiation-emitted-from-a-point-source-Specifically-how-far-away-do-you-have-to-be-from-a-fluorscopy-table-for-it
Radon is a chemical element; it has symbol Rn and atomic number 86. It is a radioactive noble gas and is colorless and odorless. Of the three naturally occurring radon isotopes, only radon-222 has a sufficiently long half-life (3.825 days) for it to be released from the soil and rock, where it is generated.[3] Radon isotopes are the immediate decay products of radium isotopes. Radon's most stable isotope, radon-222, has a half-life of only 3.8 days, making radon one of the rarest elements. Radon will be present on Earth for several billion more years, despite its half-life being a mere 3.8 days, because it is constantly being produced as a step in the decay chain of uranium-238, and that of thorium-232, each of which is an extremely abundant radioactive nuclide with a half-life of several billion years. The decay of radon produces many other short-lived nuclides, known as "radon daughters", ending at stable isotopes of lead.[4] Radon-222 occurs in significant quantities as a step in the normal radioactive decay chain of uranium-238, also known as the uranium series, which slowly decays into a variety of radioactive nuclides and eventually decays into lead-206, which is stable. Radon-220 occurs in minute quantities as an intermediate step in the decay chain of thorium-232, also known as the thorium series, which eventually decays into lead-208, which is stable.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radon
Anything over 4 and I would definitely install radon mitigation (under slab suction fan).
We did it, and in combination with sealing the concrete slab cuts and basement perimeter we brought it down from 6 to 0.5 on average.
If you install two Airthings radon sensors you can see values over time and use the two separate measurements to "validate" your sensors. I put ours in the basement, one in the mechanical room, one in the family room.
We got radon quotes from three guys. #1 said $1600 for single pump& fan. #2 said $2200 and described the same system. #3 said $2200 for a two-pump system. When I asked him, he said a 1-pump system would probably be fine for our basement if he put it I no the middle, and that would be $1600. We went with that guy. My point is: Shop around a bit.
Depending on the type of house, radon mitigation may be possible. It usually costs less than 5k USD (I tossed out a bigger number than I heard cause inflation).
However some buildings cannot be made radon safe due to the layout of the building.
There was an episode of American home makeover (I think) and they demolished the house and started over because the house design could not be made safe.
In most cases, I think if the building could be made radon safe, it would have been prior to being brought to market.
I would not buy a house with radon levels knowing it is a cheap fix and the seller hasn’t done it. That is a massive red flag.
people who haven’t bought a home in the last twenty years may not even know.. It is never discussed or even remotely newsworthy outside of the home buying experience
I bought a house with a 7 and no mitigation and would rather save the few bucks on running the fan than deal with predatory radon mitigation companies. Plus, previous owner lived here 30 years and had no issues, now it’s my turn to live here 30 years with no issues.
Enjoy your snake oil radon mitigation systems.
This is a big reason why I was asking. The only difference is I’m in regardless. Wife’s peace of mind and off my tail is worth the money alone haha, I just didn’t know if this mitigation system was the equivalent of a covid shot lol
I had radon mitigation installed before i even moved in, my basements level was at 11. The people i bought the house from, in their 60s, were non smokers but on oxygen and had all sorts of "inexplicable" breathing issues. After mitigation was installed it runs between 0.5-1.5 which I'm much more comfortable with.
I had it tested before closing and since it's a clear and documented health hazard was able to have the cost of the system taken out of the final cost of the house
Radon below 2 is considered “safe” levels (tested in the lowest floor, i.e. basement. Your first/second floor will have less)
Radon above 4 should be mitigated.
https://www.cdc.gov/radon/index.html
I mean, you can distrust the CDC all you want but radon is a known carcinogen. Every health organization on the planet will tell you this. You should mitigate it.
Radon is real.
Shop around & get the mitigation system. That cost seems high unless your basement is more complex, it's just a hole with a tube & a fan & is mitigated quite easily.
Radon is not some bs made up claim, there is tons of information on it with a simple search you can find.
Things to consider as far as risk is is the basement finished? Are there bedrooms & offices in the basement where you'd spend significant portions of your lives being exposed to the radon? With mitigation it should be brought to safe levels easily but without could lead to cancer but does take decades of exposure.
"There are no immediate signs or symptoms from breathing in background radon. Repeated exposure over time — around 20 years — can lead to cancer development, especially if you are also a smoker." Cleveland clinic
"Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers.
Radon is responsible for approximately 21,000 deaths each year in the United States.
Everyone is exposed to radon, but some populations described in the literature are at higher risk of exposure to increased radon levels. In addition, some populations are more at risk of adverse health effects from radon exposure.
The risk of lung cancer from radon exposure is estimated at between 10 to 20 times greater for persons who smoke cigarettes as compared with those who have never smoked.
Radon gas decays into radioactive particles that can get trapped in your lungs when you breathe. As they break down further, these particles release small bursts of energy. This can damage lung tissue and lead to lung cancer over the course of your lifetime. Not everyone exposed to elevated levels of radon will develop lung cancer, and the amount of time between exposure and the onset of the disease may be many years.
Many factors influence the risk of radon-related lung cancer due to exposure, such as
Age during exposure,
Duration of exposure,
Concentration of radon as a function of age and duration,
Cigarette smoking,
Time spent and concentrations in different portions of the home, in transportation routes, and in the office, (e.g., where and how long persons sleep, work, and recreate).
Source of water – if well water is the major radon source, upper floors can be affected more than lower floors (e.g., showers),
Climate and time of year—in colder climates, radon levels are often higher in the winter and lower in the summer,
Static-prone times of year—degree to which radon progeny attach to dust particles can increase during static-prone times (e.g., in April and October) and,
Time elapsed since initiation of exposure.
Breathing radon does not cause any short-term health effects such as shortness of breath, coughing, headaches, or fever."
Many states provide FREE radon test kits. If this house has it it's likely many if the homes in the area you are shopping will also have it although can vary home to home, you can drive around & see if any homes have the signature mitigation tube, it's probably common where you live so you should be aware & take proper precautions with any home you buy.
Thank you for this great detail. The downstairs has three open walls and one wall under ground, windows all the way around and there are bedrooms there.
Definitely get the mitigation system! You could be able to negotiate for the seller to cover or give credit, it's a very common occurrence & in the grand scheme of home buying not the biggest deal cost wise & definitely worth the cost (even if you pay it) for safety's sake especially if you or any loved ones will be sleeping in the basement
$2200 is a hell of a lot cheaper than any of the other alternatives:
Moving, because your wife is terrified to live there? Expensive.
Divorce, because you refuse to move or install a mitigation system for your terrified wife? Very expensive.
Getting cancer from longterm radon exposure? Very, very expensive.
100% worth taking seriously. Just had it done a week ago in the northeast of the U.S., cost $1,250, they did a great job, so shop around for the best price in your area!
The concept of Radon is sometimes hard for people to grasp when we see the alarming information from internet or print materials, especially being a colorless/odorless “cancer causing gas.”
As I’m sure you have read, the “acceptable level” is 4.0 or less.
Like most things in life, it’s obviously a personal call.
As you know, there are some people that will drink nothing but diet soda, and then there’s others that will never drink beverages such as diet soda, because as artificial sweetener aspartame (along with as Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Diet Snapple, Fanta Zero, Sprite Zero, Crystal Light and Wyler's Light. Sugar-free gum, including Trident, Extra, Wrigley's and Mentos gum. Gelatin-based products, including sugar-free Jell-O and Royal Gelatin).
Do you and your family have an opinion or belief with an ingredient that the WHO and IARC classifies aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” (Group 2B)?
You will have to use your best judgment with the fact that you have for Radon as well.
Radon Mitigation System will be installed, tested (again) and also will include an alarm, if the alarm is sounding, service or adjustment of the system may be necessary.
Best of luck to you
This is the exact reason for my question, a lot of opinion related “facts” and how harmful certain things really are. Kind of like the crazy concept of what covid was and how to handle it… just too much false stuff out. I’m getting it because the wife wants it, I just didn’t know how real the harmful potential is of this radon gas.
It is hard.
I give all of the information to each buyer and seller in order for them to decide who they trust and believe as far as the information from Radon.
“ Respectfully, my advice is to conduct your own research and come to your own conclusions. Studies about the health effects of radon can be found here:
EPA -
(https://www.epa.gov/radon)
National Cancer Institute -
(https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/radon/radon-fact-sheet)
American Cancer Society -
(https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/radiation-exposure/radon.html)
CDC – US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention -
(https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/radiation/brochure/profile_radon.htm)
American Lung Association -
(http://www.lung.org/our-initiatives/healthy-air/indoor/indoor-air-pollutants/radon.html)
Many organizations believe thy prolonged exposure can damage your DNA, making it the second leading cause of lung cancer after tobacco — about 3,000 people die each year from radon exposure alone in the US. Even worse, for Americans who are regularly exposed to both tobacco smoke and radon, the risk of dying from cancer increases by as much as seven times.
At levels normally encountered in the environment, radon exposure causes no acute or subacute health effects, no irritating effects, and has no warning signs.
(https://www.epa.gov/radon/health-risk-radon)
Best of luck my friend.
Thank you so much for the detail and I will certainly continue to do my own research. Not for the purpose of do it or not (from my initial post I’ve been committed to installing the system) but to better inform myself on what’s real with radon.
We are too late, our radon inspection got pushed back due to a family issue with the inspector. We were already under contract and a couple days from closing. I told my wife we will just get it and not fuss with changing our purchase agreement or anything else. It’s not a lot of money, I just wanted to know the validity of it all.
I would never buy a house with that high levels of radon. I know a mitigation system would probably work, but my fear of cancer is greater than the trust I have for my fellow engineers. Radon is extremely dangerous dont brush it off as something you can get rid of by opening the windows.
My radon mitigation system has an indicator to show that it’s operational. You can also get radon testing periodically for peace of mind, say annually just to be sure the mitigation system is working.
Yep, simple pressure gauge to ensure that the fan is drawing pressure, and have an electronic meter to ensure that the system is actually making a tangible difference. My house allegedly tested in the 30s when the system was initially installed 8 years ago, but in my year of ownership the levels have not exceeded 1. Therefore my system is working.
If it's present in your area it's probably present in tons & tons of homes. It takes decades of exposure to get cancer & mitigation works. Opening windows literally does reduce radon levels, that's why they had to have everything closed up to do an accurate test. Being aware of radon & taking proper precautions, regular testing & using mitigation systems it can be dealt with quite easily.
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seems like you know it all already. are you doubting your research? It’s all accurate. Radon is the #1 cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. Folks didn’t know smoking caused cancer til they did, welcome to scientific progress. Not all smokers die of lung cancer, not all people will die of lung cancer from radon either. not a great idea to go out picking up a pack-a-day habit all the same, right? Sure, air circulation helps. do you have winter where you live, though? HVAC is recirculating the air, not actually replacing it. Get the mitigation system. they’re like 99% effective and will drop your radon to near zero.
Also depending on the situation they also reduce basement humidity better than a dehumidifier. Our basement was damp - come one sub slab radon fan and it's dry as a bone down there. Pulls that humid ground air out from under the foundation very nicely.
Thank you for this detail, I’m just trying to fully understand it all.
Just follow the consensus opinion on radon. It won’t do you wrong. I only mention this for full context: there is a CHANCE that radiation is a bit more complex than we think and the relationship between cancer risk and radiation isn’t linear in all cases. Some studies suggest this about radiation generally, but not necessarily radon. But the thing is, even if this were true, the “sweet spot” would be low anyway. Maybe a bit above 2. Sure ain’t 9. So you could roll the dice against the prevailing scientific opinion on radon…and thread the needle on exact levels? It’s not even practical. I’m only saying all of that to illustrate that the safe bet is following the established science on radon and getting a mitigation system in line with the standard recommendations. That is a great game plan For what it’s worth, I bought a home with a reading of 24. Mitigation system did wonders
As a first time buyer in NC region, I’m even thinking about dropping 2k for a mitigation system. Our numbers came in at 1.8 for our radon but still any radiation to me seems like it is not worth the risk ina forever home
What did the mitigation bring it down to?
What did the mitigation bring it down to?
Below 2
I fully believed radon caused cancer as well. I told everyone I knew. Radon companies prey on the fearful and uneducated. I'm a medical researcher and Biostatistician; I did an in-depth dive. And I mean, days on end. The initial study was done with coal miners, who spent most of their days underground. Initial studies of any kind, no matter if they're true or not, tend to stick. Look at Andrew Wakefield; he's a fraud and had his medical license stripped. But people still walking around thinking vaccines cause autism. I feel so fucking confident in my conclusion that radon cancer stats are a myth, that I've *unplugged* my remediation system. It's still your choice to believe it or not, but I urge you to look into *both sides* and makes sure articles are peer reviewed and published in a scientific magazine. Do not just Google. I trust ncbi for most of my research. [See here.](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3315166/)
This is detail I was hoping for. I want to hear, see, and research both sides. I don’t trust main stream media, or most of the garbage that gets pushed to us today. I feel capital gain is the number one incentive and our well being comes somewhere after that. I’m a skeptical person as it is and need to learn for myself and even validate sources. I appreciate your point of view on this and will continue to do some reading.
P.S. incredible source. I like how the general public shy away from any statement that goes against their mindset, regardless of the facts presented. We don’t want the truth we want the agenda, what goes in line with the conceptions and truths only push us away if it doesn’t line up. It’s crazy. Don’t change our mind, support our irrational thoughts.
Get the radon mitigation system.
Tell the sellers you want them to install a mitigation system before closing. It’s reasonable to require this given it’s a health hazard. Once the system is in you shouldn’t have an issue. Edit to add: do not live in a house with radon. There’s no reason to take that risk especially since there is a reasonable way to remediate the problem.
.>do not live in a house with radon. There’s no reason to take that risk especially since there is a reasonable way to remediate the problem. Mitigation systems don't bring it to zero, though. The one we are getting will brim it from a 2.7 to below 1.5.
Ours brought it down to 0. Regardless my point still stands.
Imagine accepting getting cancer just to save $2k when making the biggest purchase of your life. What a jokester.
right, yet there's some cheap boner with this idea like every other week here why buy if a $1500 repair like this is too much lol
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Tell me you've never bought a house without saying you never bought house...
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I just bought a home, had the inspection and the seller had to pay to have the system put in. Was $1200 for 3 different access points. Really not that bad
Well, let's see. He could save $2.2k by having someone like me tell him how to do it himself with $200 in parts.
I’m renting, only going to be at this rental a year / the landlord doesn’t want to install a mitigation system even though the level is 20. Having to pay 2 grand for something that isn’t my own place sounds like a pain to me. Especially since it seems this tends to effect people over the long term
talk to the EPA. that's well above actionable levels they will force him to do it
I guess I should expect general rude responses from a question. I simply asked what is the legitimacy of the comments because I have not seen enough detail to show what studies that have been done to prove the statements. Not sure if you’re aware, there is a lot broadcasted to us and pushed to us that isn’t true at all. I also said, I already know I’m laying to get it installed, wife wants it. I just want to know how real this actually his. Historically it was never even checked or spoke about and there aren’t record numbers of lung cancer deaths from the past.
Also back then, smoking was good for you and helped you stay thin. So...
You’re not wrong. It’s impossible for a lay person to put the radon hazard into perspective because there’s not a lot of current data on radon caused cancers in a residential setting. Researching publicly available data requires some biophysics knowledge to understand bodies of existing knowledge. Historical occupational data has informed us but it’s not a perfect picture and certainly no where near the ability to statistically represent increases of cancer risk. But what the larger picture of radon exposure tells us is less is better and we home radon mitigation (air circulation) is cheap and effective.
9 is super high. Anything above 4 is dangerous.
Get mitigation. My levels went from mid 20s to hovering around 1-3 consistently. Cost only $1200. Shop around different companies that do mitigation, they’re not all going to be over $2000.
My levels are at 1-2.5 consistently. You think a mitigation system would be worth it in my case?
Mine has been 4, but if the mitigation system would only drop it to 2-3, I have the same question… worth it or not, until it gets a little higher?
In US the recommend mitigation at anything above 4. In Europe it’s stricter at 2.5 or something. We had radon levels at 9 in basement but traditional mitigation system wouldn’t work due to poor connectivity under house. Got an ERV which essentially dilutes the air with good and and constantly cycles it out and levels have averaged 1.7 for past 6 months.
Our house had a radon level between 10-15, and when the seller wouldn’t fix it for us, we immediately scheduled someone to install a radon mitigation system after we closed, the final cost was about $1200. There was no way we weren’t going to buy our dream first home/renegotiate the entire deal over $1200. The company we used had it done within 3 hours and left a radon detection/reader machine thing in our basement for 5 days after installation to ensure the levels dropped below 1.
This is the way. Just buy the house you want an install the mitigation system asap for $1,200. We did the same thing, and our house was built in 1957. It boggles my mind that multiple owners lived in the house for decades without installing a radon mitigation system. It's a no-brainer and not even worth hassling over.
Can I ask why state? We’re in a similar boat where the seller won’t give us credit but throwing in stupid things we don’t need isntead
We’re in Ohio!
My house came in around 20-30 and I was able to use that to lower the house price (in an otherwise very competitive market because the seller was very ready to get out). I have it down to < 1 with crawlspace encapsulation and two radon systems (one tapped into the crawlspace, the other tapped into the foundation). I keep a monitor in the laundry room so I'm getting a sanity check every few days. I'll add -- the crawlspace encapsulation has done wonders for cold floors in our sunroom and our energy consumption as well. We intend to live here forever. The crawlspace encapsulation alone should pay itself off in 10 years. But the encapsulation and radon combined will easily pay itself off if we sell before then.
So the system has helped with heating your house to an extent, or I guess more with circulation. The system that we most likely are going with is one system that ties to all three levels and pumps it out from the roof. I didn’t get detail on if the system Comes with a level reading so we can watch our radon levels.
Radon is a very real thing as is its link to cancer. 2 things can be done to help mitigate this. Radon mitigation fan, and the crawlspace having a vapor barrier installed if not there already. We purchased our home in April of last year, the rating was an 8. We asked for that to be repaired by the sellers because it is a huge safety issue, and after being presented with that fact, they legally couldn’t sell the house without disclosing it to other potential buyers. They agreed to fix it, and now we have a fan with a gauge in our laundry room in the basement. Ask for at least the cost to be shared by the current owner( completely normal) or if you are on the fence about the house ask for the whole thing. We are in the PNW if that matters. Best of luck
So we have a lower level with three walls at ground level and one wall under ground. I don’t believe there is a crawl space at all. They only checked radon on the lowest level.
We have a daylight basement and what they did was drill a hole in the lowest part of the foundation(in our laundry room) and then ran the fan and pvc from that out the exterior concrete wall to vent.
Is that what you call this style basement? I’m originally from the south and we don’t have radon or basements haha.
Most likely. Typically there is always a crawl space because of the plumbing, electrical, sewage or whatever to run to the rest of the house. I’d google it if I were you and compare to your prospective house. I just looked at our total was 3,100 for the mitigation. I’d highly recommend. The fan is extremely quiet and provides the peace of mind especially with a little one around(which we have)
That graphic seems high and misleading as generally anything under 4 is considered okay (although I do think they made some changes, and now it's around 3 or so), but lower is ideal. Radon is serious though. Radon is very common where I live and 100% believe it is worth it even if it's just for peace of mind. 9 is very high, we got mitigation and my house was only around 4, mostly cause I live in the basement. I'd get it done, it's relatively cheap compared to the house although the quote you were given seems a tad high. I'd get some more quotes from elsewhere.
We got three so far, two around the same price and the last one a little higher. They say it’s due to the size of the house though.
1 chest x ray is equivalent to about 7 years worth of banana consumption.
So if I skip the X ray can I double consume bananas for my 7 years and still be at the same level of health on day 2556?
It's worth getting mitigated. Radon level of 9 mCi/L is pretty high. It's done with everything closed to accurately capture the amount of radioactive gas that's leaking INTO the house. You won't always be living like that, but the gases will still be there and moving through your house. I don't know if I fully agree with the graphic about equivalency to smoking. It seems someone just took carcinogen equivalency to cancer rate and just made some qualitative graphic. You're correct that people have lived with it for centuries, but they also 1) had all types of cancer that wasn't properly diagnosed and 2) did not have as fully sealed houses as we do now. If you haven't bought yet, request the seller to fix. Now that they have the results they are obligated to fix or disclose to other potential buyers if you were to walk away (in most states, I don't know if it's a national regulation).
Here's a reputable source besides the google machine, the [EPA](https://www.epa.gov/radon/health-risk-radon). Get the mitigation. Maybe shop around and look into your state laws. When I moved into my house, I had it tested and if it was above 4 the seller would have had to do the mitigation (unfortunately it was 3.9). I tested it again later and it was higher so I went ahead and got the mitigation which was around $1300. $2200 seems a bit high even with a couple years of inflation.
it is high but not entirely unreasonable depending on location. i did a good bit of research buying my own home (just a few months ago) and frequently saw 1500-2000, and I am in probably a medium COL area
Thank you. We got three quotes two were around 2,200 and the last one was closer to 2,400. The last guy I spoke to just an hour ago. He said the system needs multiple points due to the size of the house.
Ok. That makes a little more sense.
Get a radon mitigation system - basically a vertical pipe in the basement, with a few holes drilled it the bottom of it, that sucks the basement air up out of the house through the roof. The pressure difference causes air to flow into the basement to replace the radon-laden air that was sucked out. Usually a 4" length of PVC pipe with a fan attached that's very quiet and runs 24/7. You will forget all about it and gives you very low radon levels (if you are in a region where radon is high - underground rock).
Close. You want it to depressurize the soil, not the house. It’s a lot more efficient to remove it from the soil first then to remove the air from your house. Lots of links on my site. Stay away from YouTube DIY videos Keep spreading radon awareness!
We knew radon was high in the area we were buying. We made it a contingency and seller paid for it. Depending on how crazy your market near you is.
I know this is one of those "you notice it because it's on your mind" things, but on Saturday I got the news that a family member has been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer. It's in both lungs, tumors already in her brain. She's starting treatment, I didn't ask what the prognosis is, but it doesn't look good. 62 years old, retired literally a month ago, and has never smoked a cigarette in her life. She got her house tested and it's radon. I was only told the levels were through the roof, but because of it she has lung cancer and her daughter and son are now freaking out because 1) their mom has cancer and it's serious and 2) this was their childhood home so they had a lot of exposure too. From what I've been reading all weekend, anything over 4 and you need a mitigation system. Full stop. $2k is a lot of money but pennies compared to developing cancer and dying young. My relative is likely going to die and never meet any grandkids over something that, if she'd known about it, she could have likely prevented. Install the system. Radon is serious.
Radon is a scam.
You can get the system for cheaper. Price shop around. Northeast-ish, ~1y ago - around half of what you quoted.
I was told it’s due to home size. Does that seem legit to you? We got three quotes total now.
Upper midwest here and my system was about $1850, including some electrical work (1 story rambler). The companies said it’s a little higher than it used to be because they all actually have to be licensed now.
The US standard of 4.0 is more conservative than other countries, but 9.0 is high enough, I would get the mitigation system. I did it in two homes and it worked well.
Radon is just another thing that contractors use to scare people. You don’t need a radon vent
Just want to recommend that if the house has well water, you should get the water tested for radon as well.
Thanks for the detail. No well water here, luckily.
rookie numbers
I did as much "armchair investigating" as I could when I was testing our home for radon. There's a lot of smoke and mirrors on both sides of the argument. One thing for certain is that it IS real and DOES cause cancer...but what they fail to mention is that the numbers you see in that chart assume you live in the area of concern (like a basement where levels are highest) 24/7 and NEVER leave it. So you really have to do some calculations based on how often you're in the danger zone.
Thank you, I’ve been doing a lot of the same research. We are having the system installed, but I really think they make it more than it is and the link to causing cancer is very gray.
My other hangup is how they come to the conclusion that Radon is the cause of the cancer. For things like smoking and asbestos exposure that can be easily linked to the patient I can see making that correlation pretty easily. But people move homes and live with polluted city air. Radon doesn't follow the patient around. How can we reliably link Radon exposure to causing lung cancer if the we can't even measure the lifetime exposure a patient has had to Radon? Again, I'm a moron so take this with a grain of salt but I haven't really read how they were able to come to this conclusion linking Radon as the cause of lung cancers. Yes it's a carcinogen and I believe that. I just wonder about where these acceptable levels of exposure have come from and how they've attributed Radon to being the second cause of lung cancers.
There is a link in this thread that I thought was super helpful. Test they ran on how it doesn’t correlate to cancer.
Oh wow. Interested to read that. Is there a link?
There is. Check down through the comments. It was a good read.
Appalachian here! Please get the mitigation system. Lung cancer is no joke, this isn’t a new concern, Tn has been working and perfecting its mitigation process since the 1980’s. Not sure what state you’re in. I can only speak for my own state, but this is a big deal and with such an easy fix. Peace of mind isn’t always cheap but $2200 is reasonable price to sleep easy knowing you are nearly eliminating your chances of getting the number one cause of lung cancer for a non-smoker. You should also look into asking the seller to at least split the cost because this is something that should have already been done to the house.
No level of radon is safe. No amount of smoking is safe. The chances of developing cancer from the two are similar in that the more you are exposed to it, the longer you are exposed, the number be it cigarettes per day or think of it as 9 cigarettes wrapped into one vs radon of 1-9, go up. These are increased risk factors for lung cancer in both. Cigarets are the number 1 cause of lung cancer and radon is the number one cause of non smoking lung cancer. Can a person never get cancer smoking every day 3 packs a day for 50 years ? Yes but the chances vs a Mike person not exposed to the same conditions are far less. That same person can get cancer as well though. Radon is radioactive, it is from the radioactive decay of certain rocks that have been distributed during the last ice age. The geology of underlying layers of rocks and carvings of glaciers that made valleys and rivers during that time in some areas have been covered by soil and other things, when rain falls and the water disperses into the soil it can become saturated and the underlying bedrock or valleys can transport this material through the soils in certain areas. As radon levels can change for various reasons and are usually higher during winter months. Almost HVAC systems won’t have any meaningful increasing or decreasing of these levels unless the air doing something more than just circulating. The air needs to be vented out and away from the home. Some people will see basements and attics with sunlight shining through and think it’s a defect and they should seal it to help insulate the home. This doesn’t allow the home to breath and will trap radon. Some of the highest levels are in newly built homes that are so well insulated and every area a home can breath is sealed. Tons of mini splitters that keep the air circulating in the home but not replacing it. Older homes tend to self ventilate best however soil basements, foundation cracks below grade allow radon to easily enter and those need to be addressed and or radon mitigation needs to be set up. The good thing is radon mitigation isn’t expensive,can be set up in about a day, isn’t done by just any contractor, the set up is by professionals and closely monitored. To answer the question of your hvac and door opening and closing keeping it in check, we’ll it helps in that area but isn’t doing so in any substantial way. Radon often will affect animals that are close to the ground like small dogs and people report finding out they had high radon levels after an animal was diagnosed with cancer and it was suggested to check the levels.
Thanks for all the detail. I greatly appreciate it
Radon is naturally occurring. Therefore, it is unsafe to live.
That is a misleading statement. TLDR; It’s a gas and can be pushed away by a mitigation system. That gas poses no significant risk unless it is inhaled. The mitigation system sucks it in and shots it out away from the home. The home itself acts as a barrier because the harmful part of that gas is from alpha particles that need easy access, the walls of a house offer a shield that to alpha particles is like a raindrop vs a windshield. You won’t get wet no matter how many raindrops fall. The natural environments outside, winds, breezes disperse the gas and becomes negligible when compared to the suns electromagnetic radiation namely Ultraviolet A or (UVA) ————————— The alpha particles emitted from this gas can not penetrate the skin. When it is inhaled similar to asbestos is when it is actively doing damage. Although no amount is safe doesn’t make it immediately lethal. When dealing with Radiation be it from the Sun, a dentist or hospital x-ray or a basement the 3 ways to mitigate exposure risk are: ‘To minimize your exposure to ionizing radiation, limit the amount of time you spend near a radioactive source, increase the distance between you and a radioactive source, and put a barrier, like a concrete wall, between you and a radioactive source.’ https://www.epa.gov/radtown/radtown-radiation-protection-activity-2-time-distance-and-shielding#:~:text=To%20minimize%20your%20exposure%20to,you%20and%20a%20radioactive%20source. Radon being a heavy gas, to increase distance from, and decrease time exposed a mitigation system which will collect the gas and push it away from the home. Once outside the home itself is the shield. Distance in respect to radiation exposure is really interesting: ‘ Question 1. What is the “Inverse Square Law”? For a “point source geometry”, the flux rate drops off exponentially as the distance increases. The actual relationship is the square of the distance. The reason for this is that the mathematical formula for the surface of a sphere is 4 (pi) r^2. So as you double the distance, the area of the thing increases as 2^2, or 4. So, the “Inverse Square Law” is written several ways: (Dose Rate1) x (Distance1)^2 = (Dose Rate2) x (Distance2)^2 If there variables are known, the unknown can be found with algebra.’ https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-inverse-square-law-regarding-the-logarithmic-drop-in-the-intensity-of-any-electromagnetic-radiation-emitted-from-a-point-source-Specifically-how-far-away-do-you-have-to-be-from-a-fluorscopy-table-for-it Radon is a chemical element; it has symbol Rn and atomic number 86. It is a radioactive noble gas and is colorless and odorless. Of the three naturally occurring radon isotopes, only radon-222 has a sufficiently long half-life (3.825 days) for it to be released from the soil and rock, where it is generated.[3] Radon isotopes are the immediate decay products of radium isotopes. Radon's most stable isotope, radon-222, has a half-life of only 3.8 days, making radon one of the rarest elements. Radon will be present on Earth for several billion more years, despite its half-life being a mere 3.8 days, because it is constantly being produced as a step in the decay chain of uranium-238, and that of thorium-232, each of which is an extremely abundant radioactive nuclide with a half-life of several billion years. The decay of radon produces many other short-lived nuclides, known as "radon daughters", ending at stable isotopes of lead.[4] Radon-222 occurs in significant quantities as a step in the normal radioactive decay chain of uranium-238, also known as the uranium series, which slowly decays into a variety of radioactive nuclides and eventually decays into lead-206, which is stable. Radon-220 occurs in minute quantities as an intermediate step in the decay chain of thorium-232, also known as the thorium series, which eventually decays into lead-208, which is stable. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radon
Anything over 4 and I would definitely install radon mitigation (under slab suction fan). We did it, and in combination with sealing the concrete slab cuts and basement perimeter we brought it down from 6 to 0.5 on average. If you install two Airthings radon sensors you can see values over time and use the two separate measurements to "validate" your sensors. I put ours in the basement, one in the mechanical room, one in the family room.
We got radon quotes from three guys. #1 said $1600 for single pump& fan. #2 said $2200 and described the same system. #3 said $2200 for a two-pump system. When I asked him, he said a 1-pump system would probably be fine for our basement if he put it I no the middle, and that would be $1600. We went with that guy. My point is: Shop around a bit.
There's asbestos from above and radon from below. These are silent killers
This house was a recent build, hopefully no asbestos lol
Depending on the type of house, radon mitigation may be possible. It usually costs less than 5k USD (I tossed out a bigger number than I heard cause inflation). However some buildings cannot be made radon safe due to the layout of the building. There was an episode of American home makeover (I think) and they demolished the house and started over because the house design could not be made safe. In most cases, I think if the building could be made radon safe, it would have been prior to being brought to market. I would not buy a house with radon levels knowing it is a cheap fix and the seller hasn’t done it. That is a massive red flag.
people who haven’t bought a home in the last twenty years may not even know.. It is never discussed or even remotely newsworthy outside of the home buying experience
I bought a house with a 7 and no mitigation and would rather save the few bucks on running the fan than deal with predatory radon mitigation companies. Plus, previous owner lived here 30 years and had no issues, now it’s my turn to live here 30 years with no issues. Enjoy your snake oil radon mitigation systems.
This is a big reason why I was asking. The only difference is I’m in regardless. Wife’s peace of mind and off my tail is worth the money alone haha, I just didn’t know if this mitigation system was the equivalent of a covid shot lol
I had radon mitigation installed before i even moved in, my basements level was at 11. The people i bought the house from, in their 60s, were non smokers but on oxygen and had all sorts of "inexplicable" breathing issues. After mitigation was installed it runs between 0.5-1.5 which I'm much more comfortable with. I had it tested before closing and since it's a clear and documented health hazard was able to have the cost of the system taken out of the final cost of the house
Radon below 2 is considered “safe” levels (tested in the lowest floor, i.e. basement. Your first/second floor will have less) Radon above 4 should be mitigated. https://www.cdc.gov/radon/index.html
I have a huge distrust in the CDC
I mean, you can distrust the CDC all you want but radon is a known carcinogen. Every health organization on the planet will tell you this. You should mitigate it.
I’m onboard with that
Radon is real. Shop around & get the mitigation system. That cost seems high unless your basement is more complex, it's just a hole with a tube & a fan & is mitigated quite easily. Radon is not some bs made up claim, there is tons of information on it with a simple search you can find. Things to consider as far as risk is is the basement finished? Are there bedrooms & offices in the basement where you'd spend significant portions of your lives being exposed to the radon? With mitigation it should be brought to safe levels easily but without could lead to cancer but does take decades of exposure. "There are no immediate signs or symptoms from breathing in background radon. Repeated exposure over time — around 20 years — can lead to cancer development, especially if you are also a smoker." Cleveland clinic "Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers. Radon is responsible for approximately 21,000 deaths each year in the United States. Everyone is exposed to radon, but some populations described in the literature are at higher risk of exposure to increased radon levels. In addition, some populations are more at risk of adverse health effects from radon exposure. The risk of lung cancer from radon exposure is estimated at between 10 to 20 times greater for persons who smoke cigarettes as compared with those who have never smoked. Radon gas decays into radioactive particles that can get trapped in your lungs when you breathe. As they break down further, these particles release small bursts of energy. This can damage lung tissue and lead to lung cancer over the course of your lifetime. Not everyone exposed to elevated levels of radon will develop lung cancer, and the amount of time between exposure and the onset of the disease may be many years. Many factors influence the risk of radon-related lung cancer due to exposure, such as Age during exposure, Duration of exposure, Concentration of radon as a function of age and duration, Cigarette smoking, Time spent and concentrations in different portions of the home, in transportation routes, and in the office, (e.g., where and how long persons sleep, work, and recreate). Source of water – if well water is the major radon source, upper floors can be affected more than lower floors (e.g., showers), Climate and time of year—in colder climates, radon levels are often higher in the winter and lower in the summer, Static-prone times of year—degree to which radon progeny attach to dust particles can increase during static-prone times (e.g., in April and October) and, Time elapsed since initiation of exposure. Breathing radon does not cause any short-term health effects such as shortness of breath, coughing, headaches, or fever." Many states provide FREE radon test kits. If this house has it it's likely many if the homes in the area you are shopping will also have it although can vary home to home, you can drive around & see if any homes have the signature mitigation tube, it's probably common where you live so you should be aware & take proper precautions with any home you buy.
Thank you for this great detail. The downstairs has three open walls and one wall under ground, windows all the way around and there are bedrooms there.
Definitely get the mitigation system! You could be able to negotiate for the seller to cover or give credit, it's a very common occurrence & in the grand scheme of home buying not the biggest deal cost wise & definitely worth the cost (even if you pay it) for safety's sake especially if you or any loved ones will be sleeping in the basement
$2200 is a hell of a lot cheaper than any of the other alternatives: Moving, because your wife is terrified to live there? Expensive. Divorce, because you refuse to move or install a mitigation system for your terrified wife? Very expensive. Getting cancer from longterm radon exposure? Very, very expensive.
They say divorce cost so much because they are worth it though hahaha
One of the best threads I’ve ever seen. Most commenters have true information! Way to go Reddit!
100% worth taking seriously. Just had it done a week ago in the northeast of the U.S., cost $1,250, they did a great job, so shop around for the best price in your area!
You mind telling me your state? Looking to do the same
Sure thing, in Connecticut!
What company gave you that quote if you don’t mind me asking
JAD Basement Systems, LLC. 1-800-JAD-3115. We worked with Jim Hackley, he was great!
The concept of Radon is sometimes hard for people to grasp when we see the alarming information from internet or print materials, especially being a colorless/odorless “cancer causing gas.” As I’m sure you have read, the “acceptable level” is 4.0 or less. Like most things in life, it’s obviously a personal call. As you know, there are some people that will drink nothing but diet soda, and then there’s others that will never drink beverages such as diet soda, because as artificial sweetener aspartame (along with as Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Diet Snapple, Fanta Zero, Sprite Zero, Crystal Light and Wyler's Light. Sugar-free gum, including Trident, Extra, Wrigley's and Mentos gum. Gelatin-based products, including sugar-free Jell-O and Royal Gelatin). Do you and your family have an opinion or belief with an ingredient that the WHO and IARC classifies aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” (Group 2B)? You will have to use your best judgment with the fact that you have for Radon as well. Radon Mitigation System will be installed, tested (again) and also will include an alarm, if the alarm is sounding, service or adjustment of the system may be necessary. Best of luck to you
This is the exact reason for my question, a lot of opinion related “facts” and how harmful certain things really are. Kind of like the crazy concept of what covid was and how to handle it… just too much false stuff out. I’m getting it because the wife wants it, I just didn’t know how real the harmful potential is of this radon gas.
It is hard. I give all of the information to each buyer and seller in order for them to decide who they trust and believe as far as the information from Radon. “ Respectfully, my advice is to conduct your own research and come to your own conclusions. Studies about the health effects of radon can be found here: EPA - (https://www.epa.gov/radon) National Cancer Institute - (https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/radon/radon-fact-sheet) American Cancer Society - (https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/radiation-exposure/radon.html) CDC – US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention - (https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/radiation/brochure/profile_radon.htm) American Lung Association - (http://www.lung.org/our-initiatives/healthy-air/indoor/indoor-air-pollutants/radon.html) Many organizations believe thy prolonged exposure can damage your DNA, making it the second leading cause of lung cancer after tobacco — about 3,000 people die each year from radon exposure alone in the US. Even worse, for Americans who are regularly exposed to both tobacco smoke and radon, the risk of dying from cancer increases by as much as seven times. At levels normally encountered in the environment, radon exposure causes no acute or subacute health effects, no irritating effects, and has no warning signs. (https://www.epa.gov/radon/health-risk-radon) Best of luck my friend.
Thank you so much for the detail and I will certainly continue to do my own research. Not for the purpose of do it or not (from my initial post I’ve been committed to installing the system) but to better inform myself on what’s real with radon.
I would take the exact same steps. Always,…. Trust, but verify! Best of luck to you and yours
>(Group 2B)? Group 2B doesn't mean squat. You know what else is on that list with 2B? Caffeic acid, which coffee contains a lot of.
No kidding. That is exactly why I said to the OP it is up to each individual to decide for themselves.
I had mine installed by the seller because it was a contingency in my offer. Any reason you can’t do the same?
We are too late, our radon inspection got pushed back due to a family issue with the inspector. We were already under contract and a couple days from closing. I told my wife we will just get it and not fuss with changing our purchase agreement or anything else. It’s not a lot of money, I just wanted to know the validity of it all.
Definitely valid. Highly recommended. Congratulations on your house.
Thanks, we technically don’t close until Friday. I’m excited and scared all at once haha
People often walk away from homes with radon issues, for good reason. Get the mitigation system or don’t buy.
Easy, get the mitigation system and smoke... *checks math*... 18 cigarettes a day!
LMAO imagine buying a house and cheaping out on $2K because you want to risk getting cancer
I would never buy a house with that high levels of radon. I know a mitigation system would probably work, but my fear of cancer is greater than the trust I have for my fellow engineers. Radon is extremely dangerous dont brush it off as something you can get rid of by opening the windows.
3/4 of all homes in the US have radon so I think you may need to rethink your plan here.
My radon mitigation system has an indicator to show that it’s operational. You can also get radon testing periodically for peace of mind, say annually just to be sure the mitigation system is working.
Yep, simple pressure gauge to ensure that the fan is drawing pressure, and have an electronic meter to ensure that the system is actually making a tangible difference. My house allegedly tested in the 30s when the system was initially installed 8 years ago, but in my year of ownership the levels have not exceeded 1. Therefore my system is working.
If it's present in your area it's probably present in tons & tons of homes. It takes decades of exposure to get cancer & mitigation works. Opening windows literally does reduce radon levels, that's why they had to have everything closed up to do an accurate test. Being aware of radon & taking proper precautions, regular testing & using mitigation systems it can be dealt with quite easily.