Who's tested for Radon? Who's mitigated?

[IMO]

Because of a recent thread concerning radon mitigation, I was curious, how many on this site have tested for Radon? How many have done mitigation?
Has any renters done testing? Has anyone known if their workplace tested for it? How about their kids schools?

I don't want to go down the rabbit hole of any controversies with the topic, as I honestly don't have a definitive opinion on the topic.

I suspect it's much more common to do this is some parts of the country vs. others.

I had actually never heard of this concern until more recently in my life and everywhere I've lived have always been slab foundations and I've never known anyone who's done any radon mitigation.

Is it common to see radon testing concerns when one is selling or buying a home? (I'd never seen it having owned a few homes).

[noco-hawkeye]

We’ve both tested and had mitigation done. It’s fairly common where we live. It’s a small chunk of change and it’s over and done with.

We finished the basement and are glad we don’t need to worry about this.

[RocketShipTech]

In the state of Illinois disclosure of radon is mandated for real estate transactions.

Mitigation cost me $1200 four years ago.

[Blake7]

Here’s the EPA’s map:

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/fi ... pcolor.pdf

Minimal issue where we live fortunately (zone 3). We enjoy earthquakes instead.

[IMO]

So it looks like I've lived mostly in zone 2 areas. There is no legend to say if zone 2 is considered a concern on the map.

[IMO]

What about one's work areas? Seems like one would spend a significant amount of time at work. Is there some OSHA requirement for places to test?

[Hoosierdom]

What about one's work areas? Seems like one would spend a significant amount of time at work. Is there some OSHA requirement for places to test?

I guess it depends on where you work, but I've read levels do down by half every time you move up a floor.

[Quercus Palustris]

Tested two houses ourselves when we sold (required by county in MD). 1942 house's unfinished basement was so leaky it was negligible, the other house was about 2.x pCi/L, mitigation is required at 4 or greater.

Current house in VA was tested by our home inspector, also in 2.x range. If we update the basement windows and seal the hatch to the crawl space, I'll test again. I see some neighbors have mitigation systems too. At least in MD and VA the state sells discounted test kits (usually through a 3rd party lab).

[Bogle7]

In our neighborhood, you put in a mitigation system.
You cannot (buyers’ fears) sell your house without one.
The data are not relevant.

[megabad]

In our area, if you have a basement (finished and unfinished), you have it tested. Any inspector will just automatically check the box for recommend testing with a basement. Basically any home with a basement and sold within last 10 years already has a “remediation” system. Other than that, I have never seen anyone test here. I hate basements so hasn’t really ever been much of a concern to me. House I am in now sits on a very high well ventilated crawl space.

[mancich]

We had it tested and show elevated levels. Live in NYS. Had it done for about $1500. Over and done with.

[D Newton]

It is fairly easy and inexpensive to mitigate. If you tested before and 'passed' or barely so, then subsequently refinished the basement making it more air tight with new windows etc., i recommend you test again. Chances are you might have radon levels higher than previously detected due to less outside air being drawn into the basement. Also, radon levels are somewhat dependent upon atmospheric pressure. During periods of low pressure systems (stormy weather) recorded radon levels can be higher than during high pressure systems (fair weather).

[Deighve]

We tested in a rental and the radon came back sky high. We split the cost of mitigation with landlord.

Tested in a house we were buying and was slightly over level. Sellers installed mitigation system.

It has always been a relatively easy and inexpensive problem to fix. It is not worth trying to save a few $$ here at the risk of health of family.

[WJW]

As a NJ home inspector, I test for radon in every home that I inspect. It is not common but mitigation does need to happen from time to time, and typically involves installing a system to vent the soil beneath the basement slab.

[Mako]

It’s common everywhere I’ve lived so we’ve always had an inspection while buying. Once it was high, like 16, so the sellers mitigated, it went down to 1ish. Cost was $1-2k.

Current house was about 2 during the test so haven’t done anything further.

Anytime I’ve rented it’s been an apartment on at least the second floor, so never considered it. Never heard anything about it at any place I’ve worked.

[rkhusky]

Found high levels in a house we were going to buy. The seller paid for a system that sucked air from the sump pump pit (and hence all the lines under the basement that fed the pit) and vented it outside ($800).

A house may have radon and the house next door may not, so, unless your map has that resolution, I wouldn't feel comfortable relying on it unless there was no radon found at all within 20 miles.

What with furnaces dispersing air throughout the house and the natural movement of air through heat rising, being on a higher floor might not provide the protection you think.

[jfn111]

Here in MN when I represent buyers we usually test for radon. It's about 40% where the readings come in over .4. Mitigation systems are relatively cheap, and the seller has to disclose if a test has been done, so we usually don't have a problem getting a system installed.

[Barkingsparrow]

So is this only a concern for homes with basements, or also a concern if the home is on a slab?

[carolinaman]

I had an air quality inspection at my home in January. The good news: there was no radon. I did the samples and mailed to a lab that confirmed this a few days later. The bad news: mold was found and I had poor air quality. Both issues have been mitigated.

You can get radon gets at home improvement stores and do yourself. You still have to send to lab for analysis but cost is reasonable.

[Every things free]

I mitigated this year. Before mitigation the radon levels were high. After mitigation the are levels are low.
I gave me piece of mind and increased the value of my house.
It was both a financial and heath improvement.

Kim

[Tim_in_GA]

I did a short-term test that came back at 4.something and then did a long-term test that came back at 5.6. We are in central Ohio. I got a quote for a mitigation system right before COVID hit. It was around $1100 and I am holding off on doing the work until cases start coming down here. But I am working from home in the basement now, and it looks like that will become permanent. So I hope I can get the system installed yet this year.

[TigerNest]

I grew up in a house with a radon mitigation system. It's very straightforward to install and requires minimal maintenance.

Radon is common and occurs naturally in the soil around here. It's also #2 cause of lung cancer in the US (after smoking), and is estimated to cause 20k+ deaths per year in the US, about 12% of all lung cancers.

The home test is like $25. I would test for it even if I was in an area with relatively lower risk.

[A0168472]

Bought my home a little over 4 years ago. Home inspection showed radon level at an average of 17 pci/l in the finished basement. Not uncommon in PA. I was hesitant to buy but my wife was in love with the house.

Got a couple mitigation quotes ranging from $800 to $1400. I went with a company that quoted $1200 and split the cost with the seller.

The house i'm in is around 2000 sq ft and I went overboard and bought a high powered fan that is really designed to mitigate a 3000+ sq ft home. I check radon levels frequently and i'm consistently under 1 pci/l.

This fan is slightly noisy (no big deal) but when it's time to replace, i'll probably get a fan that is more suitable for the size of my house.

[Nate79]

We have owned 3 homes in two states. In both states radon testing is required/recommended part of buying and selling process. 2 of the homes tested high and got remediation, one didn't.

[Carguy85]

We practically had mineshaft air in our basement after the build....40+ !!! About $1200 and it’s now somewhere around 1-2 now....I continually monitor it with an electronic device. A hole was bored into the floor slab along the edge of a wall (unfinished) to create a slight negative pressure with a pump...been running great since installed. Asked the neighbor who built a few years before us if he wanted to borrow my meter to check his basement and he basically spit in my face....ignorance is bliss I suppose.

[D Newton]

It can be a concern for houses built on slabs too but generally less so; if the integrity of the slab is suspect (i.e. cracks), the cracks provide a pathway for the radon gas to migrate into the living space. New homes that are energy efficient and constructed on slabs could be vulnerable to radon issues. Older houses constructed on a slab that may not be as 'air tight' as new construction probably less susceptible to radon issues.

[Isabelle77]

So is this only a concern for homes with basements, or also a concern if the home is on a slab?

I think it's mostly a concern for homes with basements. We live in an area that is supposed to be Zone1 but almost no one has basements. Everyone is testing now but I've never heard of anyone needing mitigation. Our test came back at 0.2 or something really low. I think there's no harm in testing but I haven't heard about a lot of slab radon problems.

[queso]

Bought a meter on Amazon and am consistently in the 2.x range. I read some stuff about calibration being an issue so I backed up that test with one of the more traditional "place it and mail it in to the lab" tests and that came back at 1.7. I have not mitigated yet, but have been thinking about installing a sump pump/pit and if I do I will likely do it at that time.

[wfrobinette]

So is this only a concern for homes with basements, or also a concern if the home is on a slab?

Its possible on a slab and crawl space too. I've lived in two houses that required remediation.

New construction tested at 36 the idiots put the tubes in for venting but neglected to put the fan in. Other house already had the system.

I still would buy the longer term test kits at like $15 each. The problem with most testing done by inspectors is that it's done over a very short period of time. 48 to 72 hours. The longer term cycles through seasons and various atmospheric pressure changes all of which can impact the amount of gas escaping. I do the tests regardless if I had remediation or not.

[wfrobinette]

So is this only a concern for homes with basements, or also a concern if the home is on a slab?

I think it's mostly a concern for homes with basements. We live in an area that is supposed to be Zone1 but almost no one has basements. Everyone is testing now but I've never heard of anyone needing mitigation. Our test came back at 0.2 or something really low. I think there's no harm in testing but I haven't heard about a lot of slab radon problems.

Nope! A slab is like living in the basement. It all depends on location. You may not have it but your neighbor could.

Plus if you only did the short term test and were living in the house then you likely opened doors, ran exhaust fans etc. and created vacuums that could have sucked radon out. Closed house short term or 90 day longer tests will give you a better idea how much you really have.