How best to find a solution for Radon

You may have heard of radon gas and wondered what it is, how it might affect your home and what you can do about it.  Here’s a quick guide and some good news about how you can deal with high levels of the gas if necessary.

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas which comes from granite and has no taste or smell.  All of us are exposed to it, however, some areas of the UK with most granite, such as Scotland, Wales and Cornwall, have higher levels of the gas.

Granite in Cornwall

Radon circulating in the air poses little risk to us, it’s only when it gets trapped in our homes that the risk rises.  As we breath in, the radioactive elements enter our lungs and start to decay which, over time, can lead to tissue damage and in some cases, lung cancer.  The risk is greater if your lungs are already damaged from smoking.  It’s therefore, important to reduce the levels of radon coming into our homes.

Testing is easy and under £50.  You will be sent two small plastic detectors which you leave in your home for 3 months and then send away for evaluation.  Levels from house to house vary and it may be that your levels are low and, therefore, nothing to worry about.  

Fortunately, there are quite a few solutions available if you find high levels in your house. It may be that you need a sump under the floor boards which sucks any radon away before it enters your home, or a positive ventilation fan which blows air from your loft changing the pressure in your house.  If you have a suspended floor, natural ventilation may well be all you need, or you may need mechanical underfloor ventilation.  

If you were buying a house that had a high level of radon, your mortgage company may consider a retention until the right solution is found.  However, as you can see, testing is easy and there are many solutions which can fix the problem, so it shouldn’t stop your sale from going through. Have a chat with us and we can advise you on the best course of action.

What to do if you have Mundic in your house

Did you know that Mundic is a Cornish slang word?  From about the 1900’s to the 1960’s some of the waste from the Cornish mines was used in the making of concrete blocks.  It probably seemed like a good idea at the time and must have felt like a cheap, early form of recycling.  

However, as the years passed, it was discovered that some of the bits of iron ore used in the mix became unstable when wet.  This really came to light as we started to install unventilated double-glazing into our houses in the 1970’s.  We might well have been nice and warm, but the moisture trapped in the houses made the walls damp and consequently the concrete blocks started to degrade and crumble.

You will probably find that if you are buying a house in Cornwall built between 1900 and 1965, your mortgage company will ask that you have a Mundic test.  The test costs approximately £350 and will involve a specialist drilling holes and taking samples of the concrete.  The concrete is tested and the results will fall into 4 classes: A and A/B will be sound and safe, whilst B will be sound but likely to cause problems in the future and lastly C which is clearly unsound. 

Houses that are affected by Mundic are generally sold at a lower price because of the difficulties of getting a mortgage, which means if you are a cash buyer, you may well pick up a bargain.  It might be that just one wall needs replacing or in the worst cases, you may wish to consider re-development of the site.

The good news for sellers, according to Cornwall Consultants, is that 80% of the 14,000 houses they have checked, come back with an class ‘A’  and only 5% end up with a class ‘C’.  If your house, was to fall into either the B or C classes, then you should have a chat with your Estate Agent who can advise you on what you should do next and how it might be best to help you market your house.

How to deal effectively with Japanese Knotweed

Our gardens are full of exotic shrubs bought back by Victorian plant hunters, most of which bring us colour and enjoyment.  However, there is one notorious for blighting, not only gardens but also causing structural damage to buildings.  Japanese Knotweed was transported to England from Japan in the 19th Century and,  at the time was highly prized as an ornamental shrub.  Little was known about its destructive potential when removed from its natural habitat or away from the pests that control its spread.

The presence of Knotweed, has caused problems when it comes to buying or selling houses.  Mortgage companies have been unwilling to lend money to buy houses which could be destroyed by the roots finding their way through masonry or concrete.  As buyers can’t get a mortgage this reduces the value or may prevent the sale the house. If you suspect you have knotweed, don’t attempt to treat yourself, as shop bought chemicals just won’t do the job and digging it up may leave tiny fragments which can sprout and cause outbreaks in other areas. 

Recently, the Property Care Association (PCA) together with the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), has put together guidance to help deal with Japanese Knotweed.  The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has also endorsed this scheme and, according to their website treats each property on a ‘case-by-case basis’  looking for evidence of initial and ongoing treatment.  

The best thing you can do is get it treated early, using only a specialist weed control contractor who is licensed to use more potent chemicals. Even then, treatment can take 3-4 years to ensure it is killed off properly.  Make sure you look for contractors who can provide guarantees that are backed by UK Insurance Companies which can show your mortgage lender that the treatment has been done properly or is in progress.  Sellers can then provide an insurance backed guarantee (IBG) which means their house is safe to buy.  Buyers can also get a mortgage and have peace of mind that their dream home is one that is safely weed-free.

So, although Japanese Knotweed is the last thing you want to find in your garden, there is lots of information on the web such as here to help you identify the shrub and Hus’s Peter Madsen would be happy to advise you further.