radon testing prerequisites

[charlie-ia]

the house we're looking at is in a high radon area according to the government website. ("more than 20% of houses are predicted to have radon levels in excess of the 200Bq/m3 reference level")
do we need to have the doors and windows mended before we pay for the radon tests?

Im assuming the wind blowing through will upset the readings, but Im thinking the sooner its done the better, as we're hoping to live in this building whilst we work on it, and as we need to replace all the downstairs floors anyway, a sump/membrane will have to be put in fairly early on (if we need it).

Radioactive gas isnt nice even short term right? Is radon a LOT heavier than air (in a practical sense)?
All openings have some kind of door or window, but none are what you could call at all weather proof. will the radon only become a problem when the building becomes weatherproof? The test takes 3months from what I've read, and that sounds a long time to expose yourself.

Again, thanks for everyones help so far. Much appreciated

 

[middi]

Charlie, I understand that some proportion of the population live in a radon affected aerea, mostly by default and not by design.

I am sure that once the prevention solutions are exercised these homes are quite safe to live in (?).

Due to the end of paragraph question mark above, coupled with my ignorance in radon understanding, it would tilt the balance towards looking for a home in a "radonless" aerea.

( sorry, no real help I am afraid).

 

[biffvernon]

These should take you to everything you need to know:

http://www.bgs.ac.uk/radon/
http://www.bre.co.uk/radon/
http://www.hpa.org.uk/radiation/faq/radon/index.htm
http://www.hse.gov.uk/radiation/ionising/radon.htm

 

[middi]

Nice one,good reading Biff.

Apart from some positive conclusions as to understanding the scale of it's danger, it can be quite scary to know that the stuff is around us.

 

[Penners]

We used to live in a radon area, in Oxfordshire, and carried out the normal tests on the house.

I'm no expert, but it seems to me that you need to run the tests with the house in as near normal a condition as possible. If you test it with wind whistling through, and then repair the dodgy doors/windows that are causing the draughts, you won't have a true representation of your radon exposure living in the house long term.

 

[middi]

Personally, I take my chances with the cigarettes. I am in control of the knowledge about their destruction. ( I know, it is )

 

[charlie-ia]

thought we'd have to sort the "draughts". was hoping that it was so treakley that it would just puddle about. didnt think it was likely!

thanks for the links, ive been reading the irish version, much the same.

have given up smoking for nearly a month (a couple of slip ups admittedly) cant go anywhere without someone bloomin mentioning fags! was sat in a traffic jam yesterday and could smell one two cars away, and we both had our windows shut!

I think its too late to look for a house elsewhere. this one has chosen us.
Theres so much to consider i think my brain will explode before the cancer gets me anyway.

 

[Penners]

As others have said above, millions of people live in radon areas, and there don't seem to be heaps of corpses in the streets!

It needn't be a great problem, provided you have the sense (and the budget) to run proper tests and take whatever precautionary measures may be necessary for the level that shows up in your house.

 

[charlie-ia]

not too worried about the radon in the long term, the stuff ive read on here&the web doesnt seem too bad, if like you say, we get it properly delt with.

we're still trying to work out what order to do stuff in. seemed like a good use of three months if we could get it started right away as we cant really get to the house till the end of summertime(i work in a garden centre). do you think taping plastic over the windows would be a possible solution?. it does seem sensible to get the house in some sort of order first.

I guess we wouldnt want to do the test whilst using the previously mentioned humidistatic dehumiddifier either?

I dont know how the test actually works. it appears they send you a couple of black boxes that record the levels over the three months. Anyone know how they do it?

 

[charlie-ia]

Ah-Ha! found this on the us epa website
Radon and Radon Decay Product Measurement Method Categories
A
(pCi/L) B
(WL)
AC Activated Charcoal Adsorption RP
Radon Progeny Sampling Unit (RPSU)
AT Alpha Track Detection
CW Continuous Working Level Monitoring
LS Charcoal Liquid Scintillation
CR Continous Radon Monitoring
PB Pump-collapsible Bag
SC Evacuated Scintillation Cell
(three-day integrating)
EL Electret ion Chamber: Long Term
ES Electret ion Chamber: Short Term
UT Unfiltered Track Detection

gives the gist. how much detail do I really want?

 

[Penners]

it appears they send you a couple of black boxes that record the levels over the three months. Anyone know how they do it?

Yellow boxes, actually! (Or it was when we did it).

I think the system uses dilithium crystals to control a matter-antimatter reaction that folds the space/time continuum, plus inertial dampers to moderate the effect of acceleration. 8)

(Or to put it another way, I have no idea).

 

[Flyfisher]

It seems that many of our modern living 'ailments' could well be the result of modern, hermetically sealed houses. The build up of radon in poorly ventilated (= better sealed/insulated) houses is a modern problem. I've also read theories linking the modern increase in asthma rates to an increased concentration of various chemicals from household items (carpets, plastics, anything with solvents etc etc) in modern house atmospheres.

The greater the ventilation, the less such build-up can occur . . . which seems to be at odds with the trend in building regs to better seal and insulate modern houses. An example of the law of unintended consequences?

 

[Penners]

An example of the law of unintended consequences?

Definitely. And also an illustration of the complex nature of energy saving/carbon reducing measures.