Q: My home is located in the Colossal Cave area near Vail and there’s a lot of fractured granite on the site. You really have to use a jackhammer to build here or to plant a tree. I’ve heard that all that granite could create a radon hazard inside a house. So what should I do?
A:Â Heavy presence of granite on a site can be a warning sign of radon, a cancer-causing radioactive gas. But there are safe, inexpensive tests available you can do in your house to find out. After running a test, you send the results to a lab to be analyzed. If it is determined that there is a high concentration of radon in your house, the problem can be fixed. Typically, a 4-inch diameter PVC exhaust pipe is installed in a closet and runs from below your concrete slab up to your attic. An exhaust fan on top of the pipe runs continually to blow away the radon, according to Arizona Foundation Solutions, a firm that treats radon problems.
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For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building and remodeling industry expert for 25 years, Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio program, heard locally from 8-11 a.m. on KNST-AM (790) in Tucson and from 9-11 a.m. on KGVY-AM (1080) and -FM (100.7) in Green Valley. Call 888-767-4348.
