Environmental Search - Radon

jonny2510

Has anyone any experience with Radon, and or it being "mentioned" in the environmental search results.

It has been mentioned as being within 25 metres of a radon affected area, specifically:

"the property is in an area where the Health Protection Agency (HPA) have identified that more than 1% of properties are likely to be above the action level for radon gas"

Has anyone else had similar results for a search?
Has anyone ever had to deal with radon when purchasing or living in a property?

My previous house in the same area (within a mile) had no mention in its search about radon.

Any thoughts / comments?

BitterAndTwisted

If radon was that scary Cornwall would be deserted.

Werdnal

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

If radon was that scary Cornwall would be deserted.

:rotfl:

Our house is in a high Radon area, and not only sitting on granite, its built of the darn stuff!

New builds in Cornwall in high Radon areas are usually fitted with membranes in the floor and sumps to remove it to the outside atmosphere. These can be retrofitted to older properties. It is worse in new houses because they are usually highly draught-proofed and double glazed, with no chimney, which traps any gas inside with no change of air to disperse it.

We have been offered tests in the past, but never bothered, as we suspect the readings would be off the scale. General advice I have seen is that so long as house is regularly ventilated, its not a major concern. We have open fires at both ends of the house (wood burning stoves) and are fresh air freaks anyway, so usually have windows open.

For your own peace of mind you might want to research it a bit more, but don't lose sleep over it!

abankerbutnotafatcat

Hi Jonny, we bought in May and our house also came up as being in an area with a 1% risk of radon contamination. I'd never even heard of radon so did some research. Apparently, as well as the more well-known radon area of Cornwall there is also a small radon-affected 'enclave' in the East Surrey/M25 Kent area where I am plus a few other pockets. I asked the estate agent and a radon test hadn't been carried out and he'd in fact never heard of radon. I will probably get a test done at some point - 1% is still 1% and it causes potentially fatal diseases. If the test does come up positive then it is treatable - from memory it was about £3000 to resolve, not cheap but it is good to know that it has a solution. It certainly wouldn't and didn't put me off buying. As for your other property, perhaps it's a new test/new legislation which would explain the estate agents' ignorance of it when his whole area is affected? Or perhaps it was just over the radon border!!

jonny2510

abankerbutnotafatcat wrote: »

.... As for your other property, perhaps it's a new test/new legislation which would explain the estate agents' ignorance of it when his whole area is affected? Or perhaps it was just over the radon border!!

Funnily enough, a previous (aborted) purchase of my property had the buyers solicitors asking us about radon - I had no idea where the questions came from!!!

Maybe as you said it's a new thing.

I'll mention it to the solicitors...

BitterAndTwisted

Estate agents are the last people you should accept any opinion from about surveys. Ask a surveyor!

abankerbutnotafatcat

My surveyor didn't mention it at all - it came up on the searches done by the solicitor and he didn't raise it as an issue. And I liked and trusted the estate agent - they are not all sharks!!! (although I accept that some are). I'll probably use him to sell the house I bought via him when that time comes around.

doorwoman

I had radon gas mentioned on an environment survey when I bought back in 2008. My solicitor offered to buy a more detailed survey but I was so concerned that before I said yes, I found I could do it myself online for £3. Go here...... http://ukradon.org/search.php

jonny2510

doorwoman wrote: »

... I found I could do it myself online for £3. Go here...... http://ukradon.org/search.php

Thanks - but viewing the sample, it doesn't look like it'll tell me much more than the environmental report (I already know it's in an area where > 1% of properties are affected).

I think at this stage I need to get the solicitors to ask whether radon tests have been done (which I doubt they will), and if not look to request the vendor puts around £1000 into a bond to cover a fix should a test prove (within 6 months) action is needed after we move in.

Do you think this would reasonable, or might get the vendors back up?

Richard_Webster

What percentage of properties in the area are reckoned could have a risk?

You get warned if it is between 1% and 3%, but at that level most people wouldn't bother at all.

Gwhiz

abankerbutnotafatcat wrote: »

I asked the estate agent and a radon test hadn't been carried out and he'd in fact never heard of radon.

EAs lack of knowledge never ceases to amaze!