Sun 27 Jul 2008
Another reason to hate those granite countertops
Posted by Marlow Harris under Home Decor, Real Estate
[6] Comments
Is it possible that the radon levels in granite counters is so high as to make them dangerous? That’s what is suggested in a recent article in the New York Times, noting that some types of granite hold harmful levels of uranium and should be removed.
Here in the Pacific Northwest, we’ve been told we have a hard level of bedrock that makes exposure to radon unlikely. However, with the threat of radon exposure coming from inside the house instead of outside and underneath, I guess I’l be suggesting that home buyers get a radon test.
I think in a few years, we’ll be looking at granite counters as the equivalent of pink and tourquise tiles or harvest gold and avocado green appliances. They will be horribly dated and will be ripped out wholesale by homeowners. If one has a vintage home, a material of the period would be more inline with the home style. If one has a modern home, there are plenty of other materials that would be more suitable, less dangerous and don’t involve strip-mining to use.
“Model Standards and Techniques for Control of Radon in New Residential Buildings”
NCI Analysis of Home Radon Studies
6 Responses to “ Another reason to hate those granite countertops ”
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July 27th, 2008 at 9:40 am[...] Original post by 360Digest [...]
August 1st, 2008 at 4:55 pm
I am sure we will have another disclosure that will be required for homes that have granite counter tops in the very near future!
August 4th, 2008 at 11:45 pm
It’s true though. Recently a client of mine had their home tested & the countertops were the issue!
Wow…what’s next? Dani
August 17th, 2008 at 8:59 am
Here in Vancouver WA these counter tops are very popular in new construction and with the remodeled homes. We also understand that the surface of these counter tops is harder to clean thoroughly.
October 3rd, 2008 at 10:50 am
As you are probably very aware, there have been on-going accusations that have been consistently made against natural granite products having the ability to cause cancer, because of the high levels of radon that they have been said to produce. These accusations have been going on for quite a while, and it is time to put them to rest.
Who better to accomplish this, than professionals who strive to ensure the safety, as well as the satisfaction of all customers? The National Stone Restoration Alliance is ready to put accusations to rest. Josveek Huligar, a proud member of the NSRA is willing to conduct a very important test in his own home. This is a test that can ultimately change the world of granite, as we know it.
Huligar plans to have the very slab of granite, which was said to be ‘hot’ and to have contained radon, installed in his own home. The entire process will be on camera no less, for the entire world to see. Before the slab of granite is to be installed, samples will be taken, and the air will be tested in the home, as described by the EPA, and then sent to be evaluated by AirChek (Air Chek – The Radon Information Center), to check for traces of radon and radiation. When this test is complete, the granite will be installed, and then his home will be tested once again to check the levels of radon and radiation. You can monitor this entire process yourself on a public web cam at Natural Stone Restoration Alliance | Home.
The slab being used for this test has been provided by Mr. Tim Scarlata of Atlantic Granite & Marble (Atlantic Granite & Marble), located in Rochester N.Y. After searching extensively to find the perfect slab for the test, Scarlata was able to locate two slabs of granite that did in fact produce higher than normal readings of radiation. Atlantic Granite & Marble will also be fabricating and installing the counter top while on video for the public to view.
There have been some individuals who have spent large amounts of money on not only the installation of natural granite in their homes, but then they have turned right around and paid tons more money in having the granite removed because of the scare that has been put on society with the radon issues. Huligar, being in the business of ensuring customer satisfaction and quality, also takes this issue very seriously, because the health and well being of his customers are at stake. He plans to do everything possible to ensure the continued safety and reliability of NSRA customers.
You could certainly be seriously hurt, or even killed if granite were to fall on top of you, but at this time, this is the only way that has been proven to cause harm to anyone.
It is the believed that the radon scare is nothing more than marketing strategies, and it has done exactly what it was intended to do, and that is cause fear of using granite in the general public. Huligar and associates of NSRA do not believe this to be true. However, he knows how important it is for the public to see that he stands behind the good name of The Natural Stone Restoration Alliance and their objective to supply clients with the natural beauty of stone, and that every effort will always be taken to do so in a safe manner. To further put the publics mind at rest, solutions to any unfavorable characteristics have already been found.
This test is vital to the natural stone industry, and Huligar is ready to stand up to the test to prove that granite is not harmful to the general public. People need to be able to see these accusations called upon.
The Natural Stone Restoration Alliance (NSRA) has already done their own research, and released their information that looked at both past and present studies, as well as the marketing strategies used by manufacturers that birthed the scare of radon in the home. The findings of this research are quite simply that levels of radon have no significant difference when granite has been installed in a home.
Do not let yourself fall into the trap of letting unproven fears cost you hundreds of dollars, find out the truth yourself by watching the web cam at Natural Stone Restoration Alliance | Home, and let this door be closed once and for all. Viewers can also comment on the research that is being performed at http://www.nsraweb.com/forums/news-5…nite-9010.html (Live testing of a kitchen for Radon before Granite is install)
December 25th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
Hi,
Great discussion on the issues. I am a granite fabricator myself, but this issue is indeed real and quite troubling.
Both the CRCPD (state radiation officials) and AARST (Radon scientists) are currently meeting to set maximum allowed radiation/radon standards and measurement protocols for granite countertop materials. This controversy has been embraced by the scientists as being truly of concern.
We currently conducting a full scale radon test, 18 square feet of granite in a 96 square foot room has elevated the Radon levels to over 10 pCi/L, about like smoking 1 1/2 packs a day according to EPA information. Here is a link to veiw the test and the current results.
http://forum.solidsurfacealliance.org/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=98
By the way, Huligar and I have been battling over this issue for months now. And as entertaining as it is to read his posts where he refers to himself in the third person, I doubt that if he will be back. If you notice the date on his post, and wonder why he hasn’t responded back with details of his test, it was because he initially had low results that were later proven to be untrue. An ACH test showed very high ventilation rates, which invalidated the radon test results. He hasn’t said a peep since.
He did have a truly hot granite, one small 2″ diameter chunk was at the AARST convention. I measured it with one of our meters, over 1 millirem per hour, 175 times background radiation levels, and that wasn’t the hottest spot in the slab. Lord only knows how much exposure his family recieved during that test, including his toddler.