RADON: 2nd largest cause of lung cancer?

[X-Rated]

My inlaws smoked for many years. Neither got lung cancer. My father never smoked. He died of lung cancer.

I was looking at radon maps and my home county of Douglas County Kansas is a top radon county with many homes tested of 4 pCi/L or more. Cook County, where we live now is supposed to be averaging around 2 to 4. But there are homes in the low risk areas that measure quite badly and homes tested in the high risk areas that measure quite nicely.

Has anyone had any experience with testing and venting radon gas? I never have.

[PA5COR]

The only problem in the Netherlands with radon gas was from a batch of gypsum plates used to cover the walls attics etc imported from a chaep source, ventilation or ripping out and replace was the next step.
Radon from natural sources in the ground need to be mechanically vented away from the house.
mostly the gasses will accumulate in the crawlspaces etc, so there the mechanical ventilation must be added and fresh air let in from outside the house.

Not happening here, just picked that up from the net.

[NY3V]

http://www.ehow.com/how_8559382_doityourself-radon-reduction.html

[X-Rated]

Has anyone gone through this procedure? How satisfactory were the results? We are looking at homes in the high risk areas and are concerned.

[N2NH]

http://www.ehow.com/how_8559382_doityourself-radon-reduction.html

I'm wondering if it is worth it to use copper piping and make a ground while venting the radon? I know it would cost a bit, but the only concern I'd have is whether or not this would mean a greater potential for lightning to exploit?

[kb2vxa]

Nasty stuff, and it can make a mess out of your house too. Oh wait a minute, that's Rodan.

[N2RJ]

Our area is a high Radon potential area. But we have a mitigation system. Tested and everything and it's within acceptable levels.

Basically it's just a pipe that goes into the ground with a fan in the attic.

[X-Rated]

Great. Glad to hear of someone doing something about it and getting positive results.

[n2ize]

I tend to feel the dangers of radon are exaggerated. Nonetheless, you don't want too much of it to build up in your home.n I bthink it became more of an issue when people started insulating and sealing up their homes to make them more "energy efficient". The more you seal up a home the greater the tendency to build up higher concentration of gases, such as Radon, natural gas, and other indoor pollutants. In the old days this was less of an issue. The main thing is venting. A home needs continual venting and air exchange year round. There is good reason I keep my home office window open a crack even in the coldest winter nights. It's not just because I prefer cool indoor temps. It's also for ventilation of indoor air pollutants, including possible Radon.

[KC2UGV]

I tend to feel the dangers of radon are exaggerated. Nonetheless, you don't want too much of it to build up in your home.n I bthink it became more of an issue when people started insulating and sealing up their homes to make them more "energy efficient". The more you seal up a home the greater the tendency to build up higher concentration of gases, such as Radon, natural gas, and other indoor pollutants. In the old days this was less of an issue. The main thing is venting. A home needs continual venting and air exchange year round. There is good reason I keep my home office window open a crack even in the coldest winter nights. It's not just because I prefer cool indoor temps. It's also for ventilation of indoor air pollutants, including possible Radon.

This is actually the largest contributor to it becoming an issue (Along with mold and mildew): Air tight sealing of homes.

[kb2vxa]

"Our area is a high Radon potential area. But we have a mitigation system."
Yup, you're sitting atop the Reading Prong. If I remember right your area is where radon was discovered and the first to institute mitigation measures. That was years ago I heard of it so it's had plenty of time to get around.

"I bthink it became more of an issue when people started insulating and sealing up their homes to make them more "energy efficient".
Don't think, I know. The time frame is right and that was mentioned at the time.

"The more you seal up a home the greater the tendency to build up higher concentration of gases, such as Radon, natural gas, and other indoor pollutants."
A proven fact and not limited to homes. When modern construction with recycled air HVAC systems came on the scene offices, schools and public access buildings started having severe problems with indoor pollution. I'm sure you've heard about it in the news whenever people were hospitalized and buildings evacuated.

Natural gas, hmmm. Sometimes you can take advantage of it, cut the cheese and everybody in the building look like fish out of water.

[N2RJ]

Great. Glad to hear of someone doing something about it and getting positive results.

It's standard to have a radon test during a home sale. Basically you put the test kit in the house, let it sit for a specified period of time then mail it off to the lab.

So if you're buying a house that should be a standard part of the sale. If not, you should insist on it. Most of IL is a high Radon area. Most of the US has Radon potential actually.

But building codes and I think the EPA require Radon mitigation in newer homes. For older homes you may need to retrofit it but it's basically just a vent pipe that goes from the slab up past the eaves with a fan near the top to draw the gases up.

[N2RJ]

"Our area is a high Radon potential area. But we have a mitigation system."
Yup, you're sitting atop the Reading Prong. If I remember right your area is where radon was discovered and the first to institute mitigation measures. That was years ago I heard of it so it's had plenty of time to get around.


Yep. Every house here has one. In some areas there is even uranium in the well water. Drink it and you'll glow!!! I drink bottled water.

[kb2vxa]

.....

[ka4dpo]

Nasty stuff, and it can make a mess out of your house too. Oh wait a minute, that's Rodan.

Very scary, where Godzirra?

[NA4BH]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3Z6QdeoA24

[NQ6U]

Nasty stuff, and it can make a mess out of your house too. Oh wait a minute, that's Rodan.

Not to be confused with Rodin (Pronounced the same as Rodan, BTW)

http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/rodin/kiss.jpg

[kb2vxa]

"Very scary, where Godzirra?"
Somewhere between American Godzilla and Japanese Gojira.

Oh yeah, the twins. "Mo-ha-ra... Mo-ha-ra..." Oh well, no combined TH sound in Japanese. Rodin and his melted heads, like Hitler was unable to draw the human form. Then there's Judan, 10th degree karate black belt that only exists in America. Then there's Dan Quayle who made even dumber remarks than Bush could even think of, if Bush COULD think......