Understanding Radon

Radon is dangerous. I think just about everyone knows that. But how dangerous is it? That’s where things start to get a little fuzzy. Enduring a few months of radon poisoning can result in almost deadly results. This can happen to anyone that lives in a home with exposure risk. It’s important to understand this deadly gas, why you should be aware of it, and how to mitigate the risk to you and your family.

The State of Oregon publishes an interactive map of indoor radon risk levels that was recently updated. This is a useful tool, but be aware that no matter the risk level in your area, you can still encounter a radon problem.

SO WHAT IS RADON?

You can’t smell it, see it, or taste it. It’s literally radioactive. It is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. But what in the world is this stuff and why does it want to kill us? Let’s go into geek-speak for just a second.

Radon is a colorless, chemically-unreactive, inert gas discovered in 1899 partly by Ernest Rutherford and in 1900 partly by Friedrich Ernst Dorn. It is 9 times denser than air, which is an important factoid to remember. It easily penetrates almost any material in a building, including sheetrock, concrete block, wood paneling, and most insulations.

Radon is naturally occurring in the ground and is the result of the breakdown of uranium present in soil, rock, and water. It occurs in several isotopic forms, of which radon-222 occurs most frequently. When this gas is released into the environment, it results in the formation of decay products that are radioisotopes (a chemical element that has an unstable nucleus and emits radiation during its decay to a stable form) of heavy metals (polonium, lead, and bismuth). These decay products can easily be inhaled because they rapidly attach to other airborne materials (like dust). It also may be ingested if it is highly concentrated in groundwater (well water), but the inhalation of radon is of higher concern.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF RADON EXPOSURE?

Respiratory problems are the most common signs of radon-related distress. These problems can include: a persistent cough that doesn’t get better, difficulty breathing, chest pains, the coughing up of blood, wheezing, hoarseness and recurring respiratory infections such as pneumonia or bronchitis. Radon exposure can lead to lung cancer.

A lesser known symptom of radon exposure is neurologic issues. Anxiety, memory loss, and depression could be a sign of radon exposure. However, brain health and function issues have many, many other possible causes, so this is not a symptom often mentioned.

Serious effects from high radon levels are cumulative over a long period of time. It’s important to periodically test for radon, but the presence of high radon levels in your home or a home you are thinking about buying is not a reason to panic.

WHERE DOES RADON OCCUR?

Radon is found in every state in the country. If you take a look at the map and find that you are in an area that is considered low-risk, you still may encounter a radon problem. It often enters the home through cracks in floors, cracks in walls, gaps around service pipes, joints between floor and walls, gaps around drains/pipes, etc. You may have no problem at all with radon while your immediate neighbor is dealing with extremely high radon levels.

HOW DO I TEST FOR RADON?

Short term, long term, and continuous tests are available for radon. Tests should be conducted in the lowest livable area of your home (remember how radon is denser than air?). If you are considering selling your home, we highly recommend conducting a short term radon test before listing the home on the market. It doesn’t cost much and is very much worth knowing the results before you’re in the middle of a transaction!

Most people start with a short term test to determine whether or not further testing is necessary. The test takes between 2-7 days and are then mailed to a lab to determine the results. These are available at most home improvement stores and online. 

Long term tests measure radon levels between 90 days and a year. They are more accurate than short term tests because radon levels can vary significantly from day to day and month to month. These tests are usually available through state agencies and online retailers.

Continuous radon testing devices plug into an outlet and can be used for both short and long term testing. They will give you a running average radon level. These are available from online retailers such as Amazon.

Home buyers: It’s important to note that if you purchase a home in summer and conduct a radon test, you should conduct another test in winter when radon levels are more likely to be an issue.

SHOULD I TAKE ACTION?

One out of every 15 homes in the U.S. have radon levels that should be lowered. Fortunately, reliable techniques exist to reduce radon levels in homes so that almost any home with high radon levels can be fixed. If you have a radon problem, you can hire an experienced radon contractor or accomplish the repairs yourself.

The EPA recommends doing a second test if an initial short-term test registers 4 picoCuries per liter (pCi/L) or higher. A long term test is ideal, but you can perform a second short term test if you need results quickly. If the second test results in levels higher than 4 pCi/L, consider taking action to mitigate radon levels in the home.

WHAT CAN I DO TO MITIGATE RADON IN MY HOME OR REDUCE RISK?

It does take more than just sealing cracks in the foundation to mitigate radon risk and/or exposure. Active soil depressurization or fan and exhaust systems have proven to be cost-effective and reliable. 

Radon that escapes out into the air is not a problem as it quickly becomes diluted. Therefore, ventilation is key. Ventilation can be increased through opening doors, windows, and vents. Many people like to block their crawlspace vents in winter and/or install additional insulation in their crawlspace. Blocking crawlspace vents provides very minimal energy savings so unplugging these vents and possibly moving some insulation around may be all it takes to mitigate a mild to moderate radon problem. A heat recovery ventilator (air-to-air heat exchanger) can also be installed to increase ventilation.

All information above is provided for educational purposes. It is always recommended to consult a radon professional if you have any concerns about radon in your home.

(Courtesy of Inhabit Portland…)

How to Keep Your House Cool (Without Cranking the A/C)

As the thermometer creeps up and up this summer, consider these tips to keep your home as cool as possible and make your A/C use more efficient.

Windows/Blinds
Open windows at night. In places and during times of year where it substantially cools at night (overnight temps in the mid-70s or lower), pop the windows open once the sun goes down. You’ll be amazed at how quickly the warm air is replaced with cool, refreshing air.

Better yet, utilize fans (or a whole house fan if you have one) to create tunnels of cool air coming into your home. To get the most out of your efforts with this method, crack a window on the main floor of the house, while widely opening a window on the second floor on the opposite side of the home, with a fan in that one sucking air out. Since heat rises, you’ll more quickly get the hot air out and cool air in.

Keep blinds closed during the day. Up to 30% of unwanted heat in your home is coming through your windows via the greenhouse effect — sunlight and heat enter, but cannot escape. The remedy is to keep your blinds closed during the day; if this makes your home feel too much like a cave, focus especially on west- and south-facing windows. Doing this can actually lower the mid-day temperature of your home by almost 20 degrees.

To make this action even more efficient, get light-colored blinds that will reflect rather than absorb the sun’s heat, and open them again at night when it’s cool. You can even place cardboard in the windows to further block heat from entering.

Appliances
As discussed above, windows are one of the biggest sources of unwanted heat in the home. The other biggest violator: appliances. The obvious is the oven, but all appliances throw off a lot of heat when running. Below are tips that will mitigate their heat output. I cover some A/C tips in this section as well to maximize its use and efficiency.

Do chores at night. Laundry machines throw off a lot of heat. The washer is running hot water, and driers are obviously using heated air which inevitably escapes and radiates out from the machine. Now, you can’t get away with not doing laundry (hopefully), but you can ensure it’s not heating your home during the hottest parts of the day. Do your laundry loads at night to keep things cooler. Also, regularly clean the dryer vent for a quicker cycle.

Your dishwasher also puts out a lot of heat. Like with laundry, run it at night to minimize the heating effect. If you have a quiet model, start it before you go to bed and you’ll wake up with clean dishes!

Skip the oven/stove; grill more. Any usage of the oven or even the stove-top is going to heat your home. So what’s one to do? Dust off the grill and get comfortable with it! You can grill many of the things you’d be making in an oven or on the stovetop — meat, pizza, veggies, fish, and even desserts like cobbler!

If you do use the stove, make sure to turn the fan on, especially if it vents to the exterior. If it just recirculates the air, it won’t cool things much, but it will at least improve airflow.

Keep the furnace fan on. Most thermostats allow you to manually turn the fan on that blows hot air through your home in the winter. In the summer, that fan can be run on its own to circulate and more evenly distribute the cooler air from the basement or main level. It also acts as another way to keep the air flowing and moving, which makes you feel cooler (more on that below).

Maximize your air conditioner. If you have A/C, the smoother and more efficient it runs, the better it will cool your house when called upon. Installing a programmable thermostat can help this process, rather than you fiddling with the temperature every morning and evening. Summer temperature recommendations are as follows:

75 degrees, +/- 1-2 degrees, during hours you’re home (the warmer the setting, the more energy efficient; energy.gov recommends 78 degrees, which seems a tad warm to me personally)
80 degrees, +/- 1-2, during hours you’re away
Sleeping: it’s well-researched that people sleep better when it’s cooler. If there’s a time to crank the AC a little bit, the overnight hours might surprisingly offer the most bang for the buck. Experiment with a few different temp settings to see how you feel in the morning, and go from there.

These temperatures will feel very warm at first, but after a week or two, your body will adjust and you’ll get comfortable again. So don’t deviate too much from these recommendations until you’ve tried it out for a full week or so.

Change your AC filters regularly. Every 4-6 weeks, especially during the months of heaviest use, change out your air filters if you have an air conditioner (check them more frequently if you’re running the furnace fan). A dirty filter not only reduces air quality, but also efficiency of airflow. Know your filter size, and always have a few on hand.

If you don’t have an A/C or perhaps needs a replacement, this handy tool will give you an idea of what to expect for cost. Hint: It won’t be pretty.

House Exterior
Plant shade trees and other greenery. A well-placed tree can make a world of difference for the comfort of your home. Planting a tree likely won’t have immediate payoffs, but it’s a great way to both shade your home and add color and beauty to your property. Vines and other tall shrubs are other options which will have quicker results, but will likely require more maintenance in the long-term.

Add awnings, shades, and/or shutters to the exterior of your windows. Beyond blinds, these additional options provide yet another layer of protection from the sun. Awnings are your most effective (and most expensive) course of action, and can actually reduce heating gains by 65-75%, particularly when placed on south- and west-facing windows.

Consider a couple large upgrades like re-painting or getting a new roof. If the heat in your home is a real problem year in and year out, you’d do well to run the numbers on re-painting your home to a lighter color, and/or getting a new roof with more heat protection than the standard shingles (these include slate, concrete, clay, various tiles, and metal).

These two things are really the first line of defense in protecting your home against the heat of the sun. They should be reflecting and releasing the sun’s energy rather than storing and absorbing it. Having said that, these are obviously very expensive options, so should be considered either when they’re due for a replacement/upgrade already, or as said above, if the heat creates some real problems in your household.

Miscellaneous
Keep doors inside the home open. While in the winter, closing doors helps keep heat in specific rooms, doing so in the hot summer months is detrimental to your cause. You want air to flow freely through rooms and through the entire house. Great airflow means a cooler home, so keep inside doors open unless you want those rooms to become stifling hotboxes.

Turn on bathroom exhaust fans. While you should be turning on the fan anytime you shower, in the hot summer months, leave it on for a while longer than you normally would. Hot showers obviously heat up bathrooms quite a bit, and that heat can easily leak out into surrounding areas. So don’t just turn the fan off when you get out of the shower; leave it on for an extra 20 or 30 minutes so it can really pull the hot air out. And don’t worry about your energy costs — bathroom fans are simple devices that run at a very low cost.

Turn off/replace incandescent lights. While the soft yellow glow of incandescent light bulbs creates a nice ambiance in the home, they also give off a lot of heat. One or two lamps won’t make your house unbearable, but if you run on incandescent, swap a few out for cooler, more energy efficient bulbs.