11:50am--let the games begin.
"Because you can't see it, smell it or taste it,
people don't think it exists,
but if it is there it can be deadly."
-Christine Keyser
{Indoor Radon Coordinator with the
Utah Department of Environmental Quality's Division of Radiation Control}
.....
this weekend i'll be testing my basement for radon.
the 2nd leading cause of lung cancer.
{the 1st being smoking}.
a $7 test to see if the beautiful wasatch mountains and our lovely dug out basement
have caused the gas to drop down into that unfinished space.
1 in 3 homes in utah has it.
click here for the article.
excerpt here:
"The gas develops from the breakdown of uranium and other minerals in soils, rock and water sources, and negative pressure draws it into homes, according to Keyser. Exhaust fans in kitchens and bathrooms, as well as dryer vents, actually help to suck the vapors into a home through cracks and gaps in the foundation, rather than just expel bad air as one would suppose."
i've always figured that we don't live out by the Kennecott Copper Mines so surely our area wouldn't have to worry about things like this, but if you have a basement in Utah you should be worried about this. your neighbor can have it, and your basement can be fine. OR your neighbor doesn't have it, and your basement CAN. we're not sleeping our basement yet, so we shouldn't be too worried right?
WRONG.
excerpt here:
"Radon is no respecter of homes, and some homes suck (in) more than other homes," Keyser said. "Newer air conditioning units also impact radon levels, as older, evaporative coolers created a positive pressure environment within the home, circulating air better, Keyser said, adding that, "people don't air out their homes like they used to.""
So i ordered my test,
waited for the storm to pass through the valley last weekend
{storms and wind can mess up your test},
{storms and wind can mess up your test},
and set my test up in the basement this morning.
here are the rules:
18 inches off of the ground,
at least 3 feet away from windows and the furnace,
in a place where no one will touch it,
away from drafts.
for the next 48-72 hours.
no more, no less.
then i will seal it up in it's little white pouch,
and slip it into the mail on monday morning.
{testing on a friday is better so that you can mail at the end of the test on monday morning and the lab can get it before the following weekend. more accurate results.}
anything over a 4 needs to be mitigated.
{aka new big fat pvc pipes}
let's hope we're under 4.
despite sandy city being a "hot spot" for granite and uranium deposits.
may the odds be ever in our favor;)
{thanks jenjamin}
{thanks Margaret for making me think about it!}
{thanks Margaret for making me think about it!}
buy your test here.
b/c $7 is less than i spend on a Cafe Rio pork salad.
GET TESTED!
just say no to radon!
