



back to index \| next page RADON QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS The following are frequently asked questions and answers relating to radon and buildings: General questions about radon Buying and Selling buildings Radon and construction features Protection of new buildings, extensions and conversions New Buildings Extensions Conversions Reducing Radon levels in existing buildings Sumps Increased underfloor ventilation Positive pressurisation system Sealing floors and walls Natural house ventilation Maps Measurement Radon in the Workplace General questions about radon What is radon ? Where does radon come from ? What are the effects of radon ? What is the Action Level for radon ? What is the risk at the Action Level ? Does radon cause leukaemia ? Where can I obtain more advice on health risks associated with radon? Is radon a problem everywhere in the UK ? Is radon a problem in any other countries ? Buying and Selling buildings How can I find out whether the house I am looking at buying does not have a radon problem? What should I do if the house I am buying has not been tested for radon ? What should I do if I find that the house I am buying has an elevated radon? What is a Radon Bond? What should the Radon Bond include ? How much money should I ask to be placed in a Radon Bond ? How long should the Radon Bond run for ? I am just about to exchange contracts on a house and have just discovered that it is in a radon affected area what should I do? My solicitor says that the house I am hoping to buy is in a low, medium or high risk area for radon, what does this mean? My solicitor says that the house I am hoping to buy is in a Basic, Full or Secondary radon protection area, what does this mean? When were requirements for radon protection in new houses introduced? I am buying a new house which has Full radon protection what does this mean? I am buying a new house which has Basic radon protection what does this mean? I am buying a house which was built with Secondary radon protection what does this mean? The person selling me their house has told me that the house does not have a radon problem. How can I check whether this is the case? I have been told that the area in which I am hoping to buy a home is affected by radon. What should I do? If I buy a house in a radon affected area will I be able to sell it in the future? I am buying a new house how can I tell whether it is protected against radon? How can I establish whether the new house I am planning to buy should have radon protective measures ? Should I obtain a British Geological Survey Site Report for the house I am hoping to buy? Can I test before I buy ? Will moving to a radon affected area pose a greater risk to my children ? Radon and construction features Do solid concrete floors offer greater protection against radon than timber floors ? I live in a radon affected area and the house I live in is built of local rock will this influence the radon level in my house ? My house has a stone fireplace is this the cause of my radon problem? Protection of new buildings, extensions and conversions New Buildings Where can I get information on radon protection for new buildings? Building Control have told me that I need a radon site report, where do I get one from? Building Control have told me I need to install basic radon protection what do I have to do? Building Control have told me I need to install full radon protection what do I have to do? What is a radon sump in a new building? Do I need to provide a fan and a sump during construction? I am upto first floor level with the brickwork and have now been told that I need to provide radon protection what can I do? I have nearly completed construction of a new house and now Building Control have told me that I need to provide radon protection. Extensions Do extensions have to incorporate radon protection? Do I need to obtain a geological assessment for an extension? Do I need to provide full radon protection in my extension? My extension is very small do I need to include full radon protection? How can I seal the joint between the new extension and original building? If my house does not have a radon problem do I need to provide radon protection within the extension ? Conversions The Building Control Officer has told me to provide radon protective measures in the barn that I am converting, what can I do ? Reducing Radon levels in existing buildings Sumps How does a sump system work ? How much does a sump system cost ? Are sump systems noisy ? Do sump systems have to run continuously ? Do I have to have a fan on my sump system? How does a sump system work ? When can I use a passive sump system? Do all sump systems have to have a pipe up the outside of the house? What is a condensate drain ? Where can I get a fan for a sump system? Can the fan blow into the sump? Where can I get more information on radon sump systems? Increased underfloor ventilation How can I increase the underfloor ventilation in my home? Where can I get more information on increasing underfloor ventilation ? Positive pressurisation systems How does positive pressurisation work ? How effective are positive pressurisation systems? How much do positive pressurisation systems cost? How much do positive pressurisation systems cost to run? Do positive pressurisation systems offer any benefits other than radon reduction ? Are positive pressurisation systems noisy? Where can I find more information on positive pressurisation systems? Sealing floors and walls How effective is sealing cracks in floors and walls? How can I seal a suspended timber floor? Would sealing the walls and floors in my cellar be effective ? Where can I get more information on sealing cracks and gaps in floors? Natural house ventilation Will opening windows more often reduce radon levels? Is it possible to change the way in which I ventilate my house to reduce the radon level? Is it possible to change the way in which I ventilate my house to reduce the radon level? How can I change the way I ventilate my house to reduce radon levels? Is it worthwhile trying to increase the ventilation to my cellar? Should fans used to ventilate cellars extract air out or blow fresh air in ? Where can I get more advice on reducing radon levels in a house with a cellar? Can ionisers, electrostatic precipitators or air cleaners be used to reduce radon levels ? Maps Where can I obtain maps showing the areas of the country affected by radon. Where can I find maps to determine whether or not I need to provide radon protective measures within a new house? Measurement How long do I need to test for ? Who do I contact in order to have my house tested for radon? Radon in the Workplace Am I exposed to radon at work? I am an employer. Do I need to measure the exposure of my employees?