Home remodelers - FYI (NY Times article)

[BunsenBurner]

<p>Home remodelers - check out this article from the NY Times:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/24/garden/24granite.html?no_interstitial[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/24/garden/24granite.html?no_interstitial&lt;/a&gt;

SHORTLY before Lynn Sugarman of Teaneck, N.J., bought her summer home in Lake George, N.Y., two years ago, a routine inspection revealed it had elevated levels of radon, a radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer. So she called a radon measurement and mitigation technician to find the source.</p>

<p>“He went from room to room,” said Dr. Sugarman, a pediatrician. But he stopped in his tracks in the kitchen, which had richly grained cream, brown and burgundy granite countertops.
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[ellemenope]

<p>Uranium in your granite kitchen countertops?!</p>

[roshke]

<p>The report on TV this morning said that granite slabs with red, pink and purple tones are most likely to be affected, but that any of them can. I would definitely do a radon test and/or get someone out with a Geiger counter to check - seems worth it for peace of mind. In some cases these are not low levels, either.</p>

[BunsenBurner]

<p>KING5 news in Seattle had a report on radioactive granite countertops last night. The worst offenders were the exotic ones with wild patterns from very far away places. Gosh, I <em>heart</em> my Corian ;)</p>