Radon MItigation

The radon mitigation is complete.  Well, it has been complete, I'm just now getting around to posting it up.  The installation took roughly a half day with two insertion points into the slab in the basement.  For those reading that are unfamiliar with Radon and it's importance, here's a quick synopsis.  

Radon is a radioactive gas that is colorless, odorless and tasteless.  It is an element that comes from the breakdown of uranium and can be found being given off from igneous rock, soil and sometimes well water.  It can lead to lung cancer and 20,000 cases of lung cancer a year are attributed to the exposure of Radon.  Radon is found everywhere, it's the level of your Radon exposure that matters.

The EPA set a standard reading of 4.0 pCi/L as a maximum exposure level before remediation.  This does not mean that Radon is harmless at or below 4.0 pCi/L, but that the government issues a certain limit for remediation to be considered.  What does 4.0 pCi/L mean?  Doing a little searching online found this comparison:

A family whose home has radon levels of 4 pCi/L is exposed to approximately 35 times as much radon as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission would allow if that family was standing next to the fence of a radioactive waste site.  (25 mrem limit, 800 mrem exposure).(Source:  http://radon.com/radon/radon_fact.html)

Now, doesn't that just scare the crap out of you!

During our home inspection, a Radon test was conducted and a reading of 5.0 pCi/L was found.  Through negotiation, we were able to have the seller pay for the remediation to reduce that amount to a more acceptable level.  The test was conducted in the basement where the seller had previously had a concrete floor poured over the original dirt floored basement.  Radon can seep through most materials, which includes concrete.  For each floor of the home, the Radon exposure is reduced in half.  So, the first floor would be 2.5 pCi/L, second floor would be 1.25 pCi/L, etc.  The only true way to get rid of this carcinogen is to pump it out.

The contractor selected came for a preliminary visit to discuss the installation of a sub-slab depressurization unit.  Our home's addition has a separate foundation from that of the original footprint.  Because of this division, two insertion points were required.  Each point is a drilled hole through the concrete slab that has a PVC pipe coming out of it that ultimately leads to an exterior mounted pump.  The pump runs 24 hours a day creating a negative pressure within the pipe that draws the air from underneath the slabs and out of the home, kinda like a bathroom vent fan, just more expensive.  I requested that the installer install the pump on the rear of our home so that the curb appeal isn't blemished with a large white pump and piping.

So what did this cost?  Each insertion point was $250.  So, after tacking in any applicable taxes, labor fees, pump cost and the insertion points, the total was $1,300.00.  Our Radon levels have dropped from 5.0 pCi/L to 0.7 pCi/L in the basement.

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Welcome!

My wife and I just purchased this beautiful center chimney colonial.  Our move-in date was October 1st and I've only now had the chance to start this blog.  My intention is to document our struggles, sweat, tears, blood and joy with this home while not only being a novice in antique homes but also first time home buyers.

We started our search after taking a tour through a local historic museum.  We just fell in love with the amount of character present in the home and the amount of history.  There is something vastly unique about an antique home that you just cannot find in the money making developments of today's homes (aka "cookie cutter").  These antique homes were built to last for the family, not necessarily to make money.  And since they are still around after 200+ years, you know that it was built quite well.

Like most couples, we were glued to HGTV watching shows like Holmes on Homes, House Hunters and First Time Home Buyers.  We learned a bit from these shows, especially from Holmes on Homes.  We kept seeing the horror stories of freezing pipes, leaking windows with numerous water problems, ripped off home owners, etc etc.  And all this from brand new homes with no character.  That's when we started to think, what is the point?  You invest money in a home that should be perfect, only to find that not only is it not perfect, it's going to cost you more to fix.  Sure, you can have the developer fix their mistakes, but hey, they're in it for the money, right?  Besides, why would I trust them to do it right a second or even a third time when it should have been done right the first time.  Unfortunately, cutting corners is the game plan and finding a reliable contractor is hard to do.  If we're going to be spending money eventually, why not spend it on a building that is apart of history?

So our search began.  We looked at several homes throughout the New England area.  Though the market is ripe for buyers, sellers are unwilling to sell or settle due to being "underwater" and the selection of historic homes are few.  We saw immaculate homes, homes needing restoration, and ones that should have been torn down years ago.  One particular was the "Rose Red" of antique homes.  This home was an 18th century colonial with the interior stripped and 60's pine paneling put up with floor boards that were obviously from the same period as the "new" walls.  Room after room after room was added.  It actually sickened me.

We first saw our home online back in February of 2011 and it was listed at $289,000.  We put in an offer in March which was rejected.  Then the home owner took it off the market in June and re-listed it in July with another agent for less than what our offer was.  Go figure?  I saved the real estate listing photos from both realtors, the photos can be seen here.

We later found out that this home was on the market, on and off, going on three years with a starting price in the $360,000 range.  Each re-listing was less than the previous.  The home owner was in her late seventies and wanted to downsize but was unable to find a buyer, until we came along.  After seeing the professional photos taken by her new agent, we jumped on the chance to make an offer again.  Our offer was finally accepted at 5:54 PM on July 8th and here we are!

We knew that an antique home required special eyes and we used a home inspection company with expertise in antique homes.  According to them, our home was in good condition (for its age) with a few issues standing out. 

1)  There is radon in the basement that had a reading of 5.0, 4.0 is the federal EPA limit.

2)  There is evidence of current Powder Post Beetle damage in the basement.

3)  There are several beams that require replacement due to the Powder Post Beetle activity.

We asked the seller to bring in a licensed contractor who specializes in these homes to create an estimate for repair.  We gave her a list of contractors supplied by a state funded historical society, which she ignored.  Three weeks later, an estimate was given in the amount of $2,800 that was made by a contractor that does not have true experience with post and beam construction.  We were quite shocked at the estimate and  requested a contractor of our own choosing to come in (from the same list we sent her).  Our chosen contractor charged a $345 fee to view and estimate the property, which was split with the seller.  This final estimate was $13,320.  Sometimes it pays to spend a little to get the right person.  After much negotiation, the final was:

$275,000 selling price with the seller paying for:

1) Repair of damaged beams in basement.

2) Installation of a radon mitigation system in the basement.

3) The spraying for powder post beetles.

History:

The home was built in circa 1760.  I do not know more than that at this point since the local historical society is lacking in specific documentation for this home.  We plan on making a trip to view the original records in town hall when time presents itself.

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