Who wants to talk about Radon?

[kurt]

I'm not sure why, but I was suddenly struck with a compulsion to talk about radon.......anyone else feel like that? I'm not sure what came over me.....

[Ben H]

Edumacate me good sir.

[mgbinspect]

I only test for it when asked to, and even then, I farm it out to an associate with one of the sophisticated monitoring systems that takes reading around the clock and can also show if it's been un-plugged etc. It is rather interesting to see the corrolation between the readings and weather and/or daily activity.

I don't really worry that much about it, although I have had a few homes that were off the charts, which tend to be in areas with a lot of rock outcroppings in hilly areas or along our river.

[hausdok]

I'm not sure why, but I was suddenly struck with a compulsion to talk about radon.......anyone else feel like that? I'm not sure what came over me.....

I must have been that shock you received when you shoved that butter knife into that receptacle.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Les]

I have 15 or so Sun devices that have made me approx $231.56 net over the past 10yrs or so. When I first started offering the service, it was not so accurate, no set protocols, etc. I refused to test for 4-5yrs because I thought it was voo-doo crap. Kinda like Michael B's attitude about mold! Devices got better, science caught up with public's attitude, so I bought some devices and started testing. We do abt 250 screenings per year @ $x00.00 per screening.

I am not so sure about the epa 4pcL action level. Last year I went to the Canadian Rockies and took a cool dip in their radon hot springs. The level there is approx 80pcL and I still am quite spunky. Took the cure in a mine where the level was +100pcL and still smoked 2packs of Camels per day. ps: I quit after 46 1/2yrs of two packs per day. I tried to kill myself, but failed when it started costing me 16.00 per day!

Careful reading of current science stuff will take the "killer" edge off exposures, but I feel it should be a concern and testing performed, if client asks.

[Erby]

I do radon testing w/ NEHA Certification and continuing ed every couple years (not mitigation). I use the monitors and scientific backup from Radalink. Typically about 100 tests a year. Probably 50-60 % of the tests I do find elevated levels here in Central Kentucky.

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[Scottpat]

I do radon testing w/ NEHA Certification and continuing ed every couple years (not mitigation). I use the monitors and scientific backup from Radalink. Typically about 100 tests a year. Probably 50-60 % of the tests I do find elevated levels here in Central Kentucky.

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I do pretty much the same as Erby. In fact at this morning inspection I picked up the CRM that I placed late Monday and the home had a rip roaring 42! In the basement was a piece of rock that the builder poured the foundation over and around! It should make for a fun mitigation on this one!

[caryseidner]

I don't test and probably never will. If I client is adamant about testing during the AR, which I don’t advise doing, I give them the number of one of the big radon testing companies in the area so they can contract directly with them.

I think testing during the AR period is silly because of all of the external and internal variances that can skew the short-term results. The only advantage, IMHO, is so the buyer can get the seller to compensate for the remediation, should the number come back high.

I advise my clients to hire a radon testing company to do a long term test (6-12 months is my understanding) after they move in, and plan on installing a remediation system regardless of the reading.

If radon is bad, which I believe it is, there is no real safe level. I don't trust the EPA or most other government agencies.

[Ben H]

If radon is bad, which I believe it is, there is no real safe level. I don't trust the EPA or most other government agencies.

Ditto.

[Jim Morrison]

Can we talk about porn instead?

[kurt]

Can we talk about porn instead?

Thattaboy...........I knew I could count on Jimmy to shock me back to clearheadedness........

I posted this in response to the drift over on the other thread......I don't know what came over me.......

[Nolan Kienitz]

Can we talk about porn instead?

Well, let's see now ... How 'bout starting here ?

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[gtblum]

Can we talk about porn instead?

Thattaboy...........I knew I could count on Jimmy to shock me back to clearheadedness........

I posted this in response to the drift over on the other thread......I don't know what came over me.......

Well, I appreciate the consideration and the split.

Don't worry. I'm sure if you can find a little kid to steal some candy from or an old lady to punch, you'll be back to your old self in no time. Thanks for the opinions guys. I was curious about this.

[Terence McCann]

I'm going to hate myself in the morning but...

I believe that Radon is a problem (I'm really going to hate myself - are you trolling Kurt???) and, as a service of my company, we offer Radon testing. We also test for other safety/health hazards. I believe that by doing a proper home inspection I have, at least, raised the level of awareness to the consumer. There is enough credible studies done to link Radon to lung cancer. One realtor use to say "Radon wasn't around when I was young" to which I would reply "neither were seatbelts or smoke detectors".

[Mike Lamb]

I will not short sell radon. If anyone asks if they should test, I say yes.

I did a job for a lady who's 55 year old husband died of lung cancer. Non-smoker. He worked form home and his office was in the basement. There was a radon test when she sold the house and it came in high. Coincidental? Maybe not.

[Erby]

Had one like that myself recently, Mike.

Lady spent all of her time in the basement working on crafts. Hubby said she'd very rarely been around smokers. Had about a 19 reading.

The VA Hospital here is full of those stories. No tests until it was way too late.

Is it hokum. Hell, I don't know. But i was losing jobs because I didn't do it. Now I do. And the "state" ( what a wonderful entity) gives out free long term tests kits in Kentucky.

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[Charlie R]

My first few years I didn't offer testing but got tired of losing inspections to the competition that could offer a inspection and a radon test. Then I tried coordinating with a radon test company here (Maryland) but they screwed up a couple of times and it just wasn't worth the grief I got from the clients. Took the on-line course for Radon Measurement, got a NEHA certification, bought a couple of the Sun Nuclear 1028 CRMs, now if people ask for it I say OK, for a price. The units paid for themselves, the course, and the certification within 2 months, now it's mostly all profit. I just use the software that Sun gives you to print out a report. Here in Maryland we have many counties that are above average in radon, there is usually a newspaper article about it 2-3 times a year, so about 50% of my clients ask for a test. I do believe long term testing is a better idea (90 days or more) but when you only have 10 days to settle, what's a client to do but get the short term test. Any radon level can cause lung damage but that's the same as saying any cigarette smoke can cause lung damage. But do you just walk by smokers occasionally and get a whiff, or do you smoke a pack a day. Big difference.

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[Scottpat]

I picked a CRM up in a home yesterday and the test showed 39 pCi/L. The owner is in hospice with lung cancer and her husband died 10 years ago from lung cancer. I was told that neither smoked, the husband was a barber and had his 4 chair barbershop in the walk-out basement and the wife was a stay at home mom. They owned the home for 40 years.

Who knows why or how they both got lung cancer, is it just coincidental?

[Marc]

Sounds suspicious enough to begin offering radon testing, but, someone tell me: There's no radon in Louisiana, right? That's what I've understood so far, from radon maps.

Marc

[Scottpat]

Sounds suspicious enough to begin offering radon testing, but, someone tell me: There's no radon in Louisiana, right? That's what I've understood so far, from radon maps.

Marc

I don't know; but I do know that just across the river in Vicksburg MS., levels as high as 20 pCi/L were found a few times. It has to do more with the rock formations in the area. Vicksburg has some limestone and a bunch of clay and silt. If you have natural rock formations in your area then you stand a good chance of having radon. If you have clay and silt then your chances are much lower.

[Terence McCann]

Some areas are known for high concentrations. In my state Columbus and Avon Lake have high concentrations however high readings can show up anywhere. The only way to know for sure if a house has high readings is to test it - even if you're in a "low" area.

[Charlie R]

There is some radon everywhere.

[Erby]

I can pinpoint several areas in my service area that are unlikely to have high readings. Conversely, I can pinpoint several areas that are highly likely to have high readings.

My highest was 71.5, but I've had several over 50.0 and quite a few more in the 30's and 40's.

It always amuses me when realtors tell buyers they don't need to worry about it because it's a slab or new or old or whatever. Like mother nature really cares what's sitting there!

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[hausdok]

Hi,

There are, according to the one guy in Olympia who the state employs to deal with the question of radiation, only two "hot" spots in the state of Washington - Vancouver, WA and Spokane. The only time I've ever heard of anyone around here testing for radon it was a result of "up selling" their services, which I think was borderline dishonest, and when someone from back east moved out here and insisted on it.

Randy, Richard, Robert - any of you do radon testing?

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Neal Lewis]

It always amuses me when realtors tell buyers they don't need to worry about it because it's a slab or new or old or whatever. -

Usually the realtors ask why I'm closing all the windows, 'cause all the other inspectors say just keep the basement door closed. Ugh. I hear that every day.