I mean, obviously there's still an element in that spot on the periodic table, but you never hear much about it any more. I remember in the 90s that chit was going to kill us all. When my uncle was buying a home in Colorado, the lender wouldn't close on the house until the seller put in a radon remediation system of some sort or another. I just bought a home & radon wasn't mentioned on any of the reams of paperwork. What gives?
Yeah, it's a thing in so much as you still have to pay for testing for it around here when you go to buy a house.
I would always have a check done if there was not a remediation system built in, but it does vary regionally and even by neighborhood. In some areas it just isn't prevalent enough to mess with. This is where a good buyer's realtor can know the area and steer you into getting a test or not.
Your real estate agent missed it or it's not a thing there. If it's the former, i wonder what else they missed.
As said...some areas its much more prevalent and can be very high levels. Some areas...meh. Here is a map...no Toe didnt draw it..no crayon marks or tear stains... https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-07/documents/zonemapcolor.pdf
here in sc you can demand a free test kit every 3 years you can put up in your basement or in your mom's closet. https://scdhec.gov/environment/your-home/radon
thanks for the reminder, got me a follow up test kit. when i bought the place, test came back negative. co-worker had to install a system. and found out later that also the paint on his doors and frames contained lead.
Most places I've lived have offered a free test, either from the city or county health department. I take advantage of it but haven't had a house pop yet.
Yep, it’s a naturally occurring radiative element found in certain soil types that seeps out in a gaseous state. Iowa has a lot of soil types that include radon. It’s just the way the glaciers left deposits etc and how this organic material broke down over the years. Any basement in Iowa is more than likely effected and a simple mitigation system is effective at venting the gas outside. It’s become part of the real-estate house selling process where most relocation companies will pay for etc.
The other thing is if your basement is not finished and you don’t have anyone living long term such as a child the risk is minimal. It’s the people who live long term and are exposed regularly over a longer period of time who are at risk.
If your organics are changing nuclides, you have some serious issues... I'm not a nuclear scientist, but I think that there is a Holiday Inn Express somewhere around here...
Radon is commonly associated with granite. If the underlying formation is granite it is normally common practice to have some sort of filter/barrier if building there.