I have a confession to make. It’s 5pm and I’m still in my pajamas.
Last night’s pajamas.
I haven’t showered or left the house all day either. I know! I have an explanation though, I swear. You see it all started with a gift. A Christmas gift.
Last Christmas my sister-in-law had an extra package sitting next to the tree for Ben and me. We eagerly tore through the wrapping paper and came up with…a radon test.
A radon test? Who? Wha? HUH?
Ok so I know what radon is, from I don’t know – high school chemistry? – but how/why did it apply to Ben and me?
She explained.
Iowa has the highest concentration of Radon (a colorless, tasteless, odorless gas that occurs naturally in the earth) in the United States, and exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US, after smoking.
Ummm, what??
She went on to explain that the land in the Midwest, especially Iowa, is very high in uranium, which breaks down to radium, which then breaks down to form radon. As radon decays, the radioactive byproducts (vapors) rise from the ground and are inhaled – which is what causes lung cancer!
She had recently run a test in her basement, where radon levels are usually the highest, and found levels that were three times the limit deemed safe by the EPA, and she wanted us to check ours too.
The test kit sat on my kitchen counter for weeks. It takes one minute to set up, you mail it in for FREE, and results are emailed to you within days. Still, I let it sit there.
“We’re fine…” I tried to convince myself “I’m SURE of it. I don’t need to test for this silly gas!”
Really, I was just scared.
What if the levels WEREN’T safe? The basement is Ben’s man cave! He spends so much time down there! What if he’s been inhaling this deadly gas while watching sports, hanging out with his buddies and brewing beer (his favorite hobby) for the past three years we’ve lived here?!
I had to know for sure, so I finally set the dang thing up, mailed it in and hoped for the best…
I cried when the results came back. 2.5 times the safe limit. TWO POINT FIVE TIMES! MY POOR HUSBAND! We immediately shut the door to the basement and did not return (except to do laundry) until we had a solution – the installation of a mitigation system.
A mitigation system is basically a pipe with a fan on the end of it that sucks the air, and thus the radon, from the sump pump in your basement and funnels it up and out through your roof, where it continues to rise into the atmosphere.
I’m still in my PJs because it took ALL day for the system to be installed, plus I didn’t feel like dressing up for the mitigation man…
Sorry Bill.
Bill told me that nearly 70% of the homes in Iowa have non-safe limits of radon, but the problem is kept very hush-hush by the government and real estate industry…that makes me sad!
Right now in Iowa, a radon test and/or disclosure of unsafe radon levels is not mandatory in order to sell a house, which is why Ben and I had no idea about it when we bought our place. If it wasn’t for my sister-in-law – we’d still be in the basement breathing in poisonous gas every night. I am so thankful for her gift!
If you are building a home, make sure it is piped for a mitigation system, or if you are buying one – make sure that it is tested and have the installation of a system be part of your negotiations if needed. Each house is a special case too – my home has unGodly high levels of radon, but my neighbor’s might not. Radon’s weird that way.
After much research, we learned that young children and the elderly are more susceptible to getting ill from radon, while healthy men Ben’s age are less so and he’ll most likely be just fine. I am SO glad to know that he will be breathing in clean air from now on, and he is SO glad to have his man cave back!!! He’s literally “WAHOOOOOOO”‘ing!
If you live in Iowa, the Midwest – or really anywhere in the US – and own a home, I encourage you to get a radon test kit. Even if you don’t spend a lot of time in your basement where radon mostly hangs out, at least you’ll know. Like I said, it takes one minute to put the kit together, you send it in to be tested in a pre-paid envelope and the results are emailed to you in a matter of days. Wouldn’t you feel better if you just knew, either way?
ARE YOU OVER THE CHEMISTRY LESSON!?
Ok, me too. :)
While Bill worked away, I got a little carried away with a fresh pineapple. It’s true… First up, Cottage Cheese + Fresh Pineapple for lunch.
This is my #1, all-time favorite way to eat cottage cheese – it’s what I grew up eating!
Cold, creamy cottage cheese and fresh, juicy pineapple. Match made in Heaven.Well, it’s Friday and I feel like SUCH a lump for sitting here all day. Tomorrow will be an early start to get in a good workout, run some errands, then get ready for a super-fun, local event my parents, Ben and I are attending in the afternoon. It involves beer AND bread.
I gave my jeans the afternoon off.
Emily 03.04.2011
When I lived in DC, my apartment got infested by bed bugs.
Worst. Thing. Ever.
Pancakes!! :)
Stephanie @cookinfanatic 03.04.2011
Oh my goodness that is so scary! I’m so glad that you got the test done and are now safe n’ sound :) I live in central Virginia and there aren’t many basements in houses in our area oddly enough…. never even thought about radon before? We bought our house as a foreclosure (it was a fabulously awesome deal) so we’ve had our fair share of fun “house things” to deal with but no real disasters yet! Hope I don’t jinx that :)
lesli 03.04.2011
Scary on the radon. Yum on the cottage cheese with pineapple! Is it AE?
Stefanie 03.04.2011
We are headed to Beer & Bread tomorrow too. I can’t wait :)
Jess (Sweet Potato) 03.04.2011
We have not had any house disasters, yet. Although I worry about Carbon Monoxide poisoning more than is probably healthy. Glad you got your radon problem fixed!
Karen 03.04.2011
Oh my gosh, we had Bill G. install a radon mitigation system in our house a few years ago just west of Des Moines. And, the funny part is that I made him lunch that day, too! Hmmm . . . I see a trend here. He’s a great guy. I cracked up when I read your post and called my husband over to the computer to look at the pictures. The basement is his man cave, too. Thanks for the laugh!
Miranda 03.04.2011
Wow, I had no idea about this, good to know!
The pineapple looks amazing, drool!
Sarah K. @ The Pajama Chef 03.04.2011
oh man! i’ve never heard of that. definitely bookmarking this for the next year or so when we get a house (!). we live in an apt b/c i’m in grad school and will move after i’m done… no major problems, just minor kitchen flooding when the garbage disposal went nutty! but in my last house w/ roommates…a live electric wire fell on our driveway and another one on the street. our neighbor and her 4 kids got stuck in their minivan between the two wires. the fire dept came and carried the kids and the mom up through the ravine to hang out at our house while they tended to the wires. it was crazy!!
Courtney S 03.04.2011
Ahhh those pancakes look fab! Can you share the whole recipe?
Iowa Girl Eats 03.04.2011
Here you go! http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/05/oatmeal-pancakes/
Susie 03.04.2011
We live in Minnesota and had to get a the mitigation thing done too! And I think the previous owner died of cancer…hmmmm I wonder if it was because of this house? UGH…
Emily 03.04.2011
You are just too sweet for making Bill a sandwich! Oh Bill
heather 03.04.2011
i’m from new jersey…i think i might breathe toxic stuff in just by by being alive, lol.
jenn 03.04.2011
Oops. DEFINITELY a little unsettling. Dang auto-correct!
jenn 03.04.2011
A hurricane blew through Gainesville during my days at U of Florida and a tree fell into the house I lived in! Right into my bedroom actually. Fortunately I was enjoying the hurricane party in the living room and nobody was harmed. Defense a little unsettling though… and a giant mess to clean up.
colleen 03.04.2011
We got the test kit shortly after we bought our house (in IA) – over a 1.5 years ago. Sadly, we haven’t done it yet. Too scared to see the results probably. Really need to do it though. Thanks for the reminder.
Cassie 03.04.2011
I want your pineapple pancakes STAT!
This post had me cracking up with you talking about Bill and his samich.. I love it.
Courtney @ The Granola Chronicles 03.04.2011
Aw, love that you made Bill a pb&j! That radon stuff is super scary – glad you are fighting back!
Kristen @ That Hoosier Girl 03.04.2011
OMG! I saw your tweet earlier today and how no idea why you’d need a mitigation system installed. Now I’m nervous to test our levels! Here in Indy, they’re always telling us how horrible our water is. Ah!
PS: Your pineapple upside down pancakes look amazing :)
Liz 03.04.2011
Another Iowa girl here. I didn’t have to worry about it in my previous house because there was no basement. But our current house had even higher levels than what you found. When we went back to the sellers to share the cost, they told us it was a hoax! Uh.. whatever! We installed the mitigation system anyways and when they end up with cancer, I don’t wanna hear about it! (They moved across the street and no, they don’t have a mitigation system in their house! Oh and i’m bitter cause they weren’t very nice to deal with!)
Pam Moffitt 03.15.2011
Liz, even homes built on a cememnt slab can have radon. It too should have been tested!!
Lauren 03.04.2011
OMG it’s so ironic that you just posted about this. As you know, we’ve been building our house and we just found out that the neighbor had radon in her basement. Luckily, our builder already installed that pump but we won’t be able to test ours until later because its not fully enclosed yet.
It’s so serious and I had NO idea. So glad we found out though. And I’m so glad you guys got it taken care of.