Radon issue.

TopTec

Just had my results back from the EPA showing fairly high levels in my cottage in Mayo.

Looking at the remediation options a floor sump, pipes to the outside and a flue/fan system to draw off the gas is my only choice. Ugly choice and one I am not in favour of.

Just wondering if anyone else has had to carry out works to reduce the gas and what their system was and the cost?

TT

gustus

TopTec wrote: »

Just had my results back from the EPA showing fairly high levels in my cottage in Mayo.

Looking at the remediation options a floor sump, pipes to the outside and a flue/fan system to draw off the gas is my only choice. Ugly choice and one I am not in favour of.

Just wondering if anyone else has had to carry out works to reduce the gas and what their system was and the cost?

TT

Hey so I did my test recently and thank God in the end it came back safe but in the meantime I looked into options. That seems to be the main one. If done correctly it can look pretty neat and tidy. Just shop around for the right price.

Right2Write

Has the cottage upstairs bedrooms? Is it for permanent occupation or a holiday house? Radon is a problem more on ground floors, so sleeping upstairs would be safe. Ventilation should also help. Old houses are often draftier and have open fires with bigger chimneys drawing air up and out. So I presume this was less an issue in older properties than our modern trend towards insulation and draft stripping etc.

TopTec

Single storey, two bedroomed cottage. Flued stoves in lounge and main bedroom. Well ventilated with transom windows open at night and trickle vents mostly open at all times. Was surprised to see a highish reading in the main bedroom in particular.

A flued fan system is neat if done properly but an obvious eyesore and is not easily fitted when you consider floors will have to be dug up to run the necessary pipework, and is not a cheap option.

I might look into putting in a small vent in the bedroom wall, low down to increase air flow and leave it at that.

TT

Right2Write

You could do that and test again and see if any change. I think I'd be having a bed that is as high as practical.

gustus

How high are you talking? what was your reading?

TopTec

gustus wrote: »

How high are you talking? what was your reading?

389 in the bedroom, 349 in the lounge. Both have thin concrete floors of about 2 inches onto subsoil. Bedroom is 1930's, lounge is 1820's.

TT

gustus

TopTec wrote: »

389 in the bedroom, 349 in the lounge. Both have thin concrete floors of about 2 inches onto subsoil. Bedroom is 1930's, lounge is 1820's.

TT

Considering the safety level is 200 thats not too bad. Increase the ventilation and re-test, Id say youll be pleasantly surprised. I have a similar aged cottage (1870) and for a relatively small sum, doing a lot of the work myself, I dug out a floor just like that and DPM'd, Insulated and concreted, + laminate floored it. I was unaware of the radon barrier at that stage but could easily have added one.. Apart from anything It made the place a lot warmer.

TopTec

Thanks. I have tried to ascertain common levels in my area but looks like the other 13 cottages in my townland haven't been tested. Most of the farmers scoff at the warnings to be honest. I have read of readings as high as 1200 which would drive me to dig up floors again if I had those.

I will look at the ventilation again and as I say consider some more vents but in this old place I have to consider draughts and heat loss as well. I have just finished refurbing the buildings with thick insulation and wouldn't want to negate that by busting through the insulation.

TT

gustus

TopTec wrote: »

Thanks. I have tried to ascertain common levels in my area but looks like the other 13 cottages in my townland haven't been tested. Most of the farmers scoff at the warnings to be honest. I have read of readings as high as 1200 which would drive me to dig up floors again if I had those.

I will look at the ventilation again and as I say consider some more vents but in this old place I have to consider draughts and heat loss as well. I have just finished refurbing the buildings with thick insulation and wouldn't want to negate that by busting through the insulation.

TT

I retro-fitted vents into window panes. I took off the top opening sash and brought it to a glazer. They cut out a circle and place an open/close vent. Really good option

TopTec

gustus wrote: »

I retro-fitted vents into window panes. I took off the top opening sash and brought it to a glazer. They cut out a circle and place an open/close vent. Really good option

Presumably not in double glazing Gustus? As I said I have trickle vents in all my windows and are always open from now on.

TT

phormium

I had my house tested years ago and it was high so I had the sump and fan fitted but they are on the outside wall. The company dug up a piece of path and went in a bit under house with the pipe (and whatever else they did in there?) and it goes up the outside way with a fan in a box just under roof level and pipe finishes maybe 2ft above fan.

Now it is a 25yr old bungalow so there are concrete floors etc. The company initially installed a pressure system I think it was called as the simplest option to try first, needed vents in ceilings of rooms and there was fan in attic. However it didn't reduce levels sufficiently and the noise of it drove me mad especially in the bedroom. That was removed and the outside job done instead and it reduced the levels to below recommended. There is nothing internally at all.