Killer Kitchens
We've probably all heard that the kitchen and bathroom are the most dangerous rooms in the house.
And we've all also likely heard that the greatest return on investment in a remodel comes from remodeling these ever so dangerous rooms.
Now consider that before the crash when money was cheap and plentiful, lenders were unscrupulous, and refi's ubiquitous, a lot of folks either went for high end materials in their new home kitchen or a remodel.
Enter the granite countertop.
It has come for your soul.
I'm years behind on this one. How could I not have heard?
Some granite countertops emit RADON, a radioactive gas.
Radon is listed as the second leading cause of lung cancer following cigarette smoking.
I previously only thought of radon as seeping into the home through the ground, collecting in the basement.
Not all granite will emit the gas and not all emitting granite will emit concerning amounts.
Whatever a concerning amount may be to you. There is no safe level of radon.
4 picocuries of radon per liter of air is the "Yes, we have a problem here level", according to EPA.
Testing kits can be purchased for under $50.
Abatement cost if the levels concern you?
Thousands?
Maybe you should have kept the harvest yellow formica.
Addition:
Just happened upon these factoids.
The US Capitol Building in Washington DC:
"This building is so radioactive, due to the high uranium content in its granite walls, it could never be licensed as a nuclear power reactor site."
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