Radioactive

Pssst… did you know that London (and a lot of the UK) is covered with Radon? I had no idea.

What is it you ask? According to good ol’ GOV.UK:

Radon is a colourless, odourless radioactive gas. It’s formed by the radioactive decay of small amounts of uranium that occur naturally in all rocks and soils.

Why should we worry?

Apparently, the radon level in the air we breathe outside is very low, but it can be higher inside the spaces we live, work and play. Due to the way we heat and ventilate our homes, some radon gets indoors through the floor and this is where we get most of our radon exposure.

GOV.UK tells us that:

The main danger from high radon exposure is the increased risk of lung cancer. For most people, radon is the single largest source of radiation exposure whether they are at home or at work.

Uh oh.

From what I have read so far, in most of London the radon risk is less than 1% (phew) however, with London being so dense 1% can translate to thousands of homes (mmmm…)

Why does this matter for our build?

By digging down and creating a basement we are increasing our potential exposure to radon, so building control wanted to ensure that we understood the radon levels present on the site, and that we were taking all necessary preventative measures to reduce the potential risks.

Preventative measures = money, and this may have included the installation of a radon membrane around our basement structure which would act as a protective shield against the evil radon forces. Unsurprisingly, we had not budgeted for this.

Thankfully, after purchasing reports from the British Geological Survey which reassured us that we were in a very low risk area, we are not required have to take any further action.

All this to say, regardless of whether you are building or purchasing a property, check your radon levels. Your budget and lungs will thank you.