Radon Levels

yoda84

Hi Guys,
I've just got the searches back for a house im currently buying. All is good but it reports the area is affected by Radon Gas. I paid £3 on the ukRadon.org site to get a house report and it should the levels were between 5-10%.

This is obviously above normal and of concern to me as the last thing i want in my house is a worry of lung cancer! i've been in touch with my solicitor and im wondering if its normal to ask the seller to reduce the buying price to cover the cost of having a radon pump installed, if further tests onsite provide more proof that the house is dangerous?

Thanks guys

Darren

DVardysShadow

yoda84 wrote: »

Hi Guys,
I paid £3 on the ukRadon.org site to get a house report and it should the levels were between 5-10%.

Really? The % of oxygen is 16%, of Nitrogen 80%, so with the radon, that is 101% to 106%. Breathing that concentration of Radon for a minute would probably kill you within a week, I should imagine.

Or do you mean something else?

yoda84

hold on. ithink i've read it wrong i've pasted it here anyway for you to read:

Guidance for existing properties
Is this property in a radon Affected Area? - YES
The answer to the standard enquiry on house purchase known as CON29 Standard Enquiry of Local Authority;
3.13 Radon Gas: Location of the Property in a Radon Affected Area is: Yes, this property is in a Radon Affected
Area as defined by the Health Protection Agency.
The estimated probability of the property being above the Action Level for radon is: -
5-10%
The result covers a 75 metre zone around the grid references above to allow for uncertainties in locations.
This report informs you of the estimated probability that this particular property is above the Action Level for
radon. This does not necessarily mean there is a radon problem in the property; the only way to find out whether
it is above or below the Action Level is to carry out a radon measurement in an existing property.
Radon Affected Areas are designated by the Health Protection Agency, which advises that radon gas should be
measured in all properties within Radon Affected Areas.
If you are buying a currently occupied property in a Radon Affected Area, you should ask the present owner
whether radon levels have been measured in the property. If they have, ask whether the results were above the
Radon Action Level and if so whether remedial measures were installed and whether the radon levels were
re-tested, and if the results of re-testing confirmed the effectiveness of the measures.
Further information is available in the Guide to Radon for Home Buyers and Sellers produced by the Department
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, available as a PDF file from their website or by writing to Radon Studies
Group, Health Protection Agency, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0RQ.

00ec25

yep - you misread it!

there is a 5-10% chance that your specific property may have radon gas at a level above which action (ie installing a pump etc) would have to be taken

or put another way - there is a 90% chance that it is below the level at which action would be taken

as the report says "This does not necessarily mean there is (or is not) a radon problem in the property; the only way to find out whether it is above or below the Action Level is to carry out a radon measurement in an existing property"

given that it clearly is in a radon affected area, I'd be surprised if the vendor has had measurements themselves as they must have known this would come up. Of course you should not rely on the vendor's data and you should get your own survey done anyway

TheMiner

Worth a read I think - 3 months for a radon survey is a bit of a bummer, but worth doing. A high radon level would increase your risk of lung cancer, possibly as much as being a smoker


http://www.ukradon.org/article.php?key=risksradon

yoda84

Yh i've read that, looks like i'll just have to do the 3month test and take it from there...cheers for the advice though!

Darren

Strapped

If you're buying in the south west, you'd be lucky NOT to have a radon risk tbh.

yoda84

Its West Yorkshire...been told chances are very slim, but wanna be safe

Bob_the_Saver

Strapped wrote: »

If you're buying in the south west, you'd be lucky NOT to have a radon risk tbh.

Depends where. I was in the South West, had the proper test things, results came back at about only 5% of action level so don't think that's really a RISK.

Much more of a risk if you smoke or leave the house and cross the road.

Emmzi

£1000 - £2000 to get it corrected if you need it.

I'd be happy to buy.

Tho personally i think it's all a bit scaremongery anyway. Still, it creates jobs...