On Oct 31, 12:35 pm, Frank frankdotlogullo@comcastperiodnet wrote:
john wrote:
This is the 2nd time i've tested my house for Radon and its come up
above the normal levels both times. The first time around 4.2pci and
the most recent 8.0 pci. (these were 48 hour short term tests)
I already had it planned to rip out my carpets on my foundation level.
(1st floor - bi-level house) So I was going to try it on my own first
with ripping out the carpets and filling in the foundation cracks. (if
any are found...which there should be) I would rather go this route
first before spending a $1000 or more on a Radon system.
Does anyone recommend what I should use to fill in the foundation
cracks? Regular cement caulking in a tube...is that ok ? And should I
use some type of sealant coating on top after the cracks are filled?
My sump pump / well water area is closed off and sealed well.. Plus its
closed off. (door) so im not worried much about that area.
I do have a sink down there in which i'll have to use a sealant to caulk
up the small gap and the bottom of the pipe. Thats another thing... the
EPA hotline guys said I should use a polyurethane sealant... while the
Kidde radon company I used to test my radon levels recommend using a
Silicone sealant for that area.. so im not sure which one to go with
there..
Any help would be much appreciated. You guys are the best at giving
general advice.
John in PA
Personally I think there has been over kill on the radon issue:http://www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/citguide.html
EPA and OSHA have a habit of extrapolating animal test data to zero
where in real life there are no effect levels. I would seriously
question the 21,000 deaths they attribute to radon caused lung cancer.
That said, radon is a gas that comes out of the soil and any non-porous
barrier that helps vent it outside will reduce it - even paint on a
cement wall. I would do minimum and continue to test until you are
satisfied.
Well, as a general rule of thumb, the government (EPA, CDC, etc.)
tends to get involved with things when there's a risk of death of
1/10,000 or greater per person per year of exposure, which is
generally too low for an individual to get worried about, but works
out to about 30,000 deaths per year in the whole US, which is a
reasonable death rate for a government to get concerned about. EPA
standards assume (from statistical analysis of actual cases) risk of .
0018 of lung cancer/(pCi/L) for lifetime (70 years) exposure for
nonsmokers, .013 for smokers, which works out to the 1/10,000 risk per
person per year at the 4 pci/l limit for radon for nonsmokers, so the
EPA limits for radon come in pretty much standard by the book for
epidemiological interventions. Of course, that's based on worst case,
i.e. spending essentially all your time in the basement where the
radon is, so most people are actually at much less risk. However, if
your family chains you up in the basement, you may have cause for
concern.