JAM (2005) Enterprises

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An educated public is an enlightened public!
Read on to educate yourself on radon gas, its' effects, testing procedures for your house or business and why it's important to test this fall and winter. If you have children, are a smoker (ex-smoker) or have someone in the house who is being or has been exposed to second hand smoke, it is even more important to get tested. Read the paragraph below on "Why should I care about radon gas in my house or business" if you have doubts of how deadly this can be. WHAT IS RADON GAS? WHY DO I HAVE IT? Radon is a colourless, tasteless, and odourless RADIOACTIVE gas which comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in the soil, Since it is a heavy gas, it will penetrate and seep into your house from soil and water, through cracks, foundation irregularities, gaps, sump pits, silicon-based construction materials and even from some granite countertops. Pressure differences (high in soil, low in your house) and temperature differentials due to warmer air leaving (exfiltration) and being replaced are major factors contributing to radon levels in your house. Do NOT confuse this with carbon monoxide or with methane (natural gas), radon gas is totally different ! You don't have to live in Elliott Lake or the north to be exposed to uranium and radon- it is everywhere. In fact Port Hope, Ontario (just east of Toronto), is the Radon Capital of Canada. RADON IS EVERYWHERE! No one and no place is exempt from exposure! Homes, schools, daycare centres, nursing homes, hospitals, offices, businesses - all will have radon. IT IS THE LEVEL WHICH IS IMPORTANT. When the provincial legislature passes the Radon Awareness and Prevention Act 2014, (currently in Standing Committee on General Government), all the aforementioned with the exception of houses, will have to be tested by a C-NRPP or NRPP-certified (US) radon specialist by 2016 December! (That is I.) A MUST READ !!! WHY SHOULD I CARE ABOUT RADON GAS IN MY HOUSE OR BUSINESS ? We wear seat belts or rely on air bags to protect us in case of a car accident - we have smoke detectors in our homes in case of a fire - we have carbon monoxide detectors in case our heating system malfunctions;  why don't we think that detecting radon is equally important? The risk of getting and dying from radon-induced cancer is higher than deaths from carbon monoxide, house fires, or drunk driving. Exposure to even low to moderate levels of radon gas is harmful (WHO and the US EPA stats) and as the number one Class A carcinogen (known to cause cancer in humans-not rats or mice) radon (and its decay products) is the second leading cause of LUNG CANCER in North America superseded only by smoking! Smokers have a 900% increase in risk of getting lung cancer when exposed to high levels of radon. For some reason, women tend to have a higher risk and rate of this form of cancer. It is really important to measure radon levels if you smoke, are exposed to second-hand smoke, have previously smoked (like me) or have children, who are most vulnerable and face a lifetime of exposure at daycare, school and at home. Your beloved pets are also subject to exposure and cancer development as well. Radioactive decay products (RDP) from radon attach to particles in the air (smoke, dust, pet dander, debris, aerosols, etc.) which you and your children (and pets) inhale continuously. We all have to breathe ! It is these RDP's which attach to the lung tissue, give off RADIATION and initiate the cancer process. If you have any doubts, read the stories (Antonella's, Alan Whitehead, Eddie-Cancer Survivor) on my website or visit the CANSAR website (www.cansar.org). Click on the Faces of Cancer Survivors to see their stories. If they can't convince you to test, nothing will. Real people! Real Stories! REAL CANCER! TESTING FOR THIS POTENTIAL KILLER - The DIY dilemma The ONLY way to know for sure whether you and your family are at risk is to have radon gas levels MEASURED by a C-NRPP certified radon measurement professional (that is I)or by homeowner-purchased test kit. (See "Do-It-Yourself Testing" section of my website for test kit limitations BEFORE you purchase one. Look at the "big box" store reviews. Many customers were severely disappointed with these kits.) For Do It Yourself (DIY) testing refer to my website or my Kijiji (radon) ads. I sell the Accustar AT-100 long-term alpha track detector at an affordable and comparable price for DIY testing $49.95 + HST+ shipping to you). I use Canada Post Xpresspost parcel shipping to get the detector to you unless you are in the North end and wish to pick it up. Cost is approximately $10.82-12.82 (my cost) which should get it to you in 1-2 days.This price INCLUDES lab analysis by Accustar in Massachusettes, Airmail Small Packet shipping of the exposed detector to the lab and customs declaration. This detector is the NUMBER ONE rated long-term detector in North America by Consumer Reports 2014. It is used by both professionals and consumers. Also unlike some of the big-box kits, there are NO EXTRA FEES for faster processing or lab analysis since the cost of lab analysis is included in the affordable price. As with some big-box store or Internet kits, SHIPPING of the exposed detector to the lab is INCLUDED. The included pre-paid Accustar shipping via Canada Post usually takes about 4-6 days which is quite acceptable for long-term kits. Frequent complaints for the big-box store kits centre on the inordinately long time for shipping to the US and/or slow down with Customs which can invalidate the test results especially for short-term test kits. This occurs because many kit manufacturers that include shipping back to the lab, choose the least expensive (read longest) method to get the exposed detector back to the lab. Detectors (especially short-term ones) must be returned quickly (within a few days) for analysis. That is why I buy and include pre-paid mailers for your convenience and cost-savings. With some big-box store or Internet kits, especially short-term, express or courier shipping can cost as much as $73.04 (Canada Post). Results are usually available in 7-10 days. I also get a copy of the test results so that I can help you (email or phone) with any recommendations WHERE DO LONDON AND MIDDLESEX HOUSES STAND WITH RESPECT TO RADON LEVELS? Health Canada, Middlesex-London Public Health Unit and other county Public Health Units maintain that ALL HOUSES SHOULD BE TESTED with a long-term test (91-365 days). Some areas and counties in SW Ontario have particularly high levels. In 2012, (and again in 2014) Health Canada did a national survey of radon in homes. The results were 7% of homes had above the national "limit" of 200 Bq/m3. In London-Middlesex, only 1.8% of homes tested above the limit so it gave the impression that London and surrounding areas do not have a radon problem although Southwest Ontario is flagged as a high risk area for radon gas. However, in that survey ONLY 109 HOUSES WERE TESTED in London and Middlesex county! Not a lot of homes (out of 195, 679 residential houses according to 2011 statistics) in a large area (over 3, 300 km2) on which to base your survey data!! That's testing only 1 OUT OF EVERY 1800 HOUSES in London and Middlesex County!!! Don't be fooled into complacency - your home could easily be over the limit, as mine was, but no one surveyed me. Once the Ontario government establishes a provincial radon registry (Radon Awareness and Prevention Act 2014) we can get a better idea about accurate radon levels in Ontario. Until then, don't be a statistic - GET TESTED TODAY. Beat the rush ! RADON GAS TESTING Starting in October 2015 all new building permits for new homes in Guelph, ON will have to have a radon measurement done before the permit is issued. If the levels are above Health Canada's limit, then remediation will have to be done. Legislation is currently before the Ontario Legislature to amend the Ontario Building Code (OBC) to make it mandatory that all new house construction will have to have a radon mitigation system installed during the building process. Many new houses are adopting RRNC (Radon-Resistant New Construction) techniques during the building process to minimize radon intrusion and make mitigation much easier and less costly if required. This is consistant with the new version of the National Building Code. Hopefully London and surrounding communities will follow suit. St. Thomas and Central Elgin (SE of London) communities have followed Guelph's lead and are putting mitigation systems in new houses in 2016. On September 18 2014, GLOBAL NEWS featured a newscast with Mike Holmes and the Lung Association about the dangers of radon gas, detection of this potential killer and installation of a radon mitigation system in a Niagara Falls home. Mike reinforced the necessity of testing ALL houses for this problem. The only way to know if you are at risk is to TEST. Watch for a possible future episode of Mike Holmes (Holmes on Holmes, Holmes Makes It Right, etc.)) on radon testing and mitigation system installation. There was also a PSA (Public Service Announcement) featuring Mike Holmes and The Lung Association, in November, since this was National Take Action on Radon month in Canada. (January in the US.) These PSA's are continuing in the fall of 2015 and 2016 with Mike Holmes Jr. as the spokesperson for radon testing and control. November is Take Action on Radon month in Canada. Look for the PSA's on CBC. On November 23rd, Dr. Marla Shapiro featured a segment on radon on the CTV News AM Morning Show. According to her, 96% of Canadian homes have never been tested for radon. Isn't it about time to change that statistic and get tested. SHORT-TERM tests (2-7 days) will give you an indication of whether you are over Health Canada's guideline or for real estate transactions, but it is the LONG-TERM test (91-365 days) that is the more crucial test for determining annual levels and for mitigation purposes. With the possible exception of real estate transactions, never mitigate without a long-term test since radon levels fluctuate daily and these fluctuations can be significant. Long-term tests average out these "ups and downs" and should be at least 3 months in length and carried out into the fall-winter-spring months when houses are closed up. Book a free consultation now so that your test will include the fall-winter months or order a DIY Accustar AT-100 long-term test kit from me. You want to have a kit in place preferably over the fall-winter-early spring months so you can have it in place for a preferable 3-6 month period or longer when "closed house`" conditions exist. For long-term testing, the detector can be set up during any season as long as it is in place for at least 91 days. For CERTIFIED TESTING, my fees are affordable and considerably less than those offering comparable services in the London area. Fees are currently set at $150-200for a residential single short-term test (2-7 days) using a Continuous Radon Monitor (hourly readings) and $125-175for a single long-term test using an alpha track detector. The higher fees apply to out of city testing services. This long term detector fee also includes detector pick up, shipping back to the lab, lab analysis and an explanation of your test results. For out of city testing, I usually email the results to you as soon as I get them. HST is extra on in-house testing. (HST no. 807744438 RT0001). DIY TESTING is $49.95 + HST and shipping to you ($11-$13 for Canada Post Expedited Shipping). I use the Accustar AT-100 which is the number one long-term test kit in North America (Consumer Reports 2014) and includes lab analysis and small packet air mail shipping to the lab in Massachusettes. Accustar usually copies me on results so I also include an explanation of your results by email or phone consultation as needed. WHAT IF I HAVE A RADON PROBLEM ? Because I personally feel that there is a real or perceived conflict of interest if one does radon testing AND mitigation, I am NOT involved in mitigation (radon removal) and therefore have no vested or financial interest in convincing you that you need a mitigation system installed. I report the results, make recommendations, and leave the decisions to you. Mitigation (with the exception of real estate transactions) should be based on long term measurements.There is one C-NRPP-certified mitigation contractor in the London area that I would recommend and will give you free estimates if needed and if you are east of Woodstock there is another mitigator in Simcoe. Mitigation usually involves Active Sub-slab Depressurization - putting a hole in the basement floor, installing a 4" vent pipe and attaching a fan which will take the radon from under the slab or floor and vent it to the outside. Other techniques may be used for crawl spaces, cinder block foundations and slab-on-grade foundations. A "communication field test" test may be needed to determine the placement of the ASD system prior to installation. This may add to the costs of the system. Depending on the radon gas level, mitigation can be delayed up to 2 years if you are between 200-600 Bq/m3, and within 1 year if you are greater than 600 Bq/m3. (Health Canada's guideline for mitigation is 200 Bq/m3) ARE YOU LIVING WITH A POTENTIAL KILLER ? Affordable peace of mind for you and your family. You will never have that peace of mind until you have the levels determined. Will your house be one of the ones that is over the Health Canada Guideline (200 Bq/m3) and subjecting you and your family to potential harm? I had no idea mine was until I measured the basement levels! New evidence from WHO and the US EPA now suggest that low to moderate levels in homes actually are responsible for more cancer cases than high levels! So if your house is between 100 and 200 Bq/m3, this could also indicate a potential hazard. Regardless of how you determine your radon gas level, GET IT MEASURED! An educated public is an enlightened public !