And while I was vigilant during the closing process--checked the area for Level 3 sex offenders (didn't stop one from moving in last week, though), for example--my husband and I did not think to have the place tested for radon. Radon is a naturally occuring radioactive gas formed by uranium in the earth's crust. It's odorless, tasteless, colorless. And, unfortunately, it is currently the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. Long story short, radon is found more often in certain parts of the country, and Minnesota is one of those places.
We tested our basement a month ago, hiring a radon tester who does not also have a mitigation company. I feel this is a conflict of interest. This guy was actually a home inspector who specialized in radon testing. The test came back at 8 pico couries/liter (pCi/L). This is frighteningly high. The EPA recommends no long-term radon exposure above 4 pCi/L. Mitigation was a must. We prepared ourselves for a huge expense, but after getting several estimates, we found it wouldn't be more than about $1200 for our particular house. This is not a small chunk of change, basically our entire tax return, but if we'd had to borrow from Payday Loans, we would have. This is not an optional cost. This is necessary.
Yesterday, the guys from the mitigation company came by and installed our system. Unfortunately because our home is old and weird, they couldn't put the fan inside our house, which leaves us open to the possibility of fan freeze should the temp dip to 25 below zero, which it will. Anyway, They drilled a deep hole in the slab of our basement, removing 15-20 gallons of dirt, inserted a PVC pipe, sealed. That pipe was routed to the outside of our home, installed vertically, threaded through our gutter and roof, and routed out of our house, ten feet from any window. A small fan was installed as well. The way these systems work is that by sucking the radon from beneath the slab, the fan then propels it out of the house entirely. Our company guarantees to 2.0 pCi/L or less, so we will test beginning tomorrow.
I tell this story because even today, people don't think to test for radon. Sometimes it's lack of information; sometimes it's fear--what if we have to drop $1,000 to fix this? But for the well-being of your family, I urge you to do this simple test. The benefits so outweigh the costs. I can feel my blood pressure reducing as I type.
If you do choose to mitigate, choose a company that is recommended by your state's Department of Health. Most of them have a list of licensed, bonded companies. That's how we found ours.
