Have you tested your home for radon?

[RAW22]

I've NC'ed for this as it's massively outing to anyone who knows me but am a regular user.

Wondering how many people are aware of radon and/or have ever tested their home. I'm involved in this field professionally and one of the most common questions clients ask is "why hasn't anyone the government ever told us about this?". I found out about it when I graduated and happened to get a job with a company who dealt with it and I've spent the last 15 years trying to raise awareness as I think it's shocking more people aren't aware.

It's the leading cause of lung cancer in non smokers and responsible for over 1100 deaths in the UK every year. It's easy to test your house and costs around £40.

This week is UK Radon Awareness Week and today the campaign was focusing on families, so I thought this was a good place to share the information. Thursday will focus on schools which is a whole other issue - there are currently tens of thousands of children (and staff) being exposed to high levels in schools because the necessary risk assessments haven't been done. Worth asking your children's schools if they have done their risk assessment!

Happy to answer any questions on the subject.

Much like employers, there's legislation in place that requires landlords to carry out risk assessments including testing where in an affected area. Many social landlords have been getting up to speed with this in recent years, and I know I've provided training on it to one based in North Wales (pm me who you rent from if you want and I'll let you know if it's the same one). Worth raising it with them and asking when the last time they tested your property was - they're obliged to do it at least once every 10 years.

Awesome OP. Thanks for raising awareness and sharing your knowledge.

Yes, there are plenty of ventilation bricks.

Shame about the spiders though

The HA I rent from sends us the black discs every 3 years. We had our check in the summer.

Fantastic!

Yes I know. I'm a geotechnical engineer, in my first job I designed foundations for new build estates, and always checked the radon for what mitigation measures be needed.

OP

Is this why I have what look like ventilation bricks under the level of my concrete floor.

It's not a minor issue. At the action level, which is set at 10 times the average UK household concentration. the radiation exposure is about 40 times that which would be allowed if you lived next to a nuclear power station.

I have checked our area , which is new build area, and it is yellow on the map. Do you think we still need to get the test done. We purchased our house in Feb, search results say low radon levels.

We had to have a radon report on your land when we extended the property. Minute amount was found. Totally naty

OP is there a cheaper way of testing for radon other than the formal UK Radon.org kit? We’re in a high risk area in a house built in 1987, moved in 5 years ago and we didn’t know about radon then. The house has never had a test. Risk is elevated at between 5-10%. The kits are £52.80 and we just don’t have cash to spare right now.

Yes, various companies are running discounts this week, and most are cheaper than the government prices the rest of the year anyway - and you'll get your results report faster. I will pm you with details as don't want the thread to get pulled if it seems like advertising, which was not the original purpose.

Please do! Thank you so much, I’m really grateful.

We live in a high risk radon area. We have a radon sump and all needed to be checked out before we exchanged on the property.

As a child, I remember our school being flagged as having high radon and there was all sorts of panic and we had a few days off so they could sort it out. 😬

Can you pm me too, didn't know about the radon issues but in a high area, but can't shell out for the gov one.

The building I have been living in is built on the grounds of an old coal mine. I don't exactly know where abouts the mine shaft was in relation to the position of the buildingis, but I would not be suprised if me and my nieghbours are all glowing nice and brightly with radon. My nieghbours would smoke it if they got their hands on it.

Many Thanks for the advice OP, much appreciated.

I am in the middle of Conveyancing and wasn't quite sure what to do with the information received from survey, which flagged the house as being in a 1% risk area.

Knowing that remedial works are possible provides some comfort, as I was considering the alternative which was pulling out given access issues into a property you don't own yet.

Really pleased to say my radon kit test results are back.

Although I live in a hot spot (Grampian), my readings came back at 62. 200 and above is considered dangerous.

I'm very relieved as we have sealed our lower floor air vents all winter due to the cost of heating our old granite house.

Is anyone else waiting for results?

We are in one of the lowest risk areas in the country, so it is thankfully not something I have to concern myself with at the moment.

I sent mine off on Monday - they were in place from Nov 11th 2022- Feb 11th. Keeping everything crossed all is ok as we don’t have the money for any remedial works, and knowing we had high levels but not being able to fix it would be horrendous.

Hi @RAW22 , came across this last night as we’re in the process of buying a house in a high risk area.

We did the 10 day test (which I understand isn’t the most accurate) and levels have come back at 230 in the bedroom and 360 in the living room.
We’re asking for a radon bond and we have spoken to a company who do the remedial work, but I wasn’t very reassured by the fact they said sometimes they can fit the pumps and it doesn’t make any difference?!
I have 2 DC would eventually like a 3rd if we’re lucky enough- and was also worrying about radon in a potential pregnancy and if you have any knowledge around that?!
Thank you so much in advance. Would really appreciate your thoughts on this, just had a fairly sleepless night trying to work out what to do!

Morning @Mel202 - you've done all the right things so far. At those levels I would definitely do a 3-month test on completion and it may be that your long term average is just about ok and you happened to test over a peak period recently, but I would expect that you'll need/want to do remedial works. Unless there is something very unusual about the property or the ground it's built on you'd have to be very very unlucky for a sump system to not be effective. A positive pressure (or PIV, positive input ventilation) system may also be an option if your levels are only just around the action level, but you'll usually get a better reduction with a sump.

The levels you're likely to have are something you'd want to mitigate in the long term, but nothing worrying on the short term (ie don't worry about living there whilst doing the 3 month test and getting works sorted). The radiation dose you get is to your lungs from inhaling radon particles attached to dust - there is no direct exposure to a fetus so it wouldn't have any impact on an unborn baby.

If you like everything else about the property and it's an area you want to move to, none of what you've said would put me off buying the property. Especially if the vendor has agreed to a radon bond - not all do, and another property round the corner might have higher levels and an uncooperative vendor!

Hope that puts your mind at rest a bit, and good luck with the move!

You can check the estimated risk free by putting your postcode into the UK Health Security Agency map here www.ukradon.org

Sorry if I'm being daft but how do you search for free? I can't see any sections of the website that don't have a fee to search but maybe I'm missing it.

A positive input ventilation system will remove radon. Cost around 450-600 pounds.

I feel that when i bought the house, the solicitor did a radon check.