Another reason to hate those granite countertops

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

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