Those lovely granite countertops July 29, 2008
Posted by brobinson in : General , trackbackBack in 2005, a resort condo developer unveiled the plans for their new oceanfront project and somehow the well-known Honolulu interior design firm in charge of selecting finishes had decided upon Corian for the countertops. Prospective buyers rebelled! Luckily, this was pre-construction and the developer made a quick switch to granite. Granite has clearly been the hot material of choice in recent years for our second and vacation home market on the Big Island.
Well, it turns out that certain granites may be “hot” in another sense. I discovered reading a recent article that apparently some granites, particularly more exotically patterned types from tropical countries, emit levels of radiation and radon that could potentially be unsafe. According to the NY Times: “It’s not that all granite is dangerous,” said Stanley Liebert, the quality assurance director at CMT Laboratories in Clifton Park, N.Y., who took radiation measurements at Dr. Sugarman’s house. “But I’ve seen a few that might heat up your Cheerios a little.”
Admittedly we all are exposed to natural environmental radiation, to a greater or lesser extent depending on where we live. A really hot countertop might possibly as hazardous as smoking to someone who spends a lot of time in proximity to it. Possibly a big enough risk that a pregnant woman might not want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen cooking (hmmm…now THAT’S a great excuse for eating out!).
Even the “worst” granite countertop may not be a big risk for most of us, but with an aging population and more focus on “green” materials in our homes, granite testing may be the next thing in home inspection!
A hui hou,
beth@hawaiipalmproperties.com
Cell: 808-443-4588
Hawaii Palm Properties, Inc
Office in downtown Hawi near Bamboo restaurant
www.hawaiipalmproperties.com
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