Radon...........

mendel

Hi all,

Well we are progressing (slowly) with our renovation of 2700 sq ft house. The house was built mid 70's (we think). We are completely gutting including finishing off floor level. The house basically is four walls and a roof.

My problem is we have no radon barrier, we have a dpm. Our engineer says nothing we can do to rectify this and doesn't seem concerned as our area is a very low risk area.

Anyone any opinion or advice as to any type of solution even if not perfect??

...... other than knock the house and start again which is not on.

muffler

This is worth a read.

RKQ

mendel wrote: »

Well we are progressing (slowly) with our renovation of 2700 sq ft house. The house was built mid 70's (we think). We are completely gutting including finishing off floor level. The house basically is four walls and a roof.

I'm not contradicting your Engineer as he / she has seen your house and knows the area. But Radon is a natural occuring gas, even in low risk areas. It is particularly risky for smokers.

As you seem to be gutting the house including removing the existing floor, then it should be quite inexpensive to install a sump in the existing hardcore under the existing dpc.

The sump and a few lenths of pipe would be cheap to buy and install. It or they could be installed in a room/s near the centre of the floor plan - while avoiding rooms wilth lots of rad or waste pipes buried in the floor.

A heavy guage dpc can act as a radon barrier, provided it is sealed fully.
Bring the pipe from the sump or sumps to the rear elevation, were a vertical pipe can be added, up to eaves level, should a radon problem be detected.

I would try to install at least one sump - what price peace of mind?

Mellor

RKQ wrote: »

But Radon is a natural occuring gas, even in low risk areas. It is particularly risky for smokers.

RKQ,
Why is it more risky for smokers?
I'm not disagreeing or anything, just never heard a reason before. Curiosity and such.

gman2k

Mellor wrote: »

RKQ,
Why is it more risky for smokers?
I'm not disagreeing or anything, just never heard a reason before. Curiosity and such.

It's just a case of adding up the risks...

RKQ

No worries Mellor, I read it on RPII site.

http://www.rpii.ie/Site/Media/Press-Releases/Radon-lung-cancer-risk-25-times-greater-for-smoker.aspx

High exposure to Radon can cause cancer - lung cancer is the most common type of cancer caused by Radon.

Radon is in the same group of carcinogens as asbestos and tobacco smoke.

Naturally smoking also increases your chance of developing lung cancer. Smoking & radon together greatly increases your chance of developing lung cancer - 25 times the risk.

http://www.rpii.ie/Your-Environment/Radon-and-your-environment.aspx

Mellor

Thanks for the link RKQ.
Nice to see figures for it. I would of assumed that together they both add up to a greater risk, just like any to harmful things but wasn't aware that they were the same group of carcinogens.