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_doit...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_doit...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.