Property Condition Assessments, Home Inspections, Radon Testing and Mitigation, Thermal Imaging, Indoor Air Quality Testing
Blog
Raising Radon Awareness
Friday, October 13, 2017
Basic Radon Facts
Being exposed to Radiation due to elevated levels of radon gas increases a person's chance of developing lung Cancer.
Smokers who are exposed to elevated levels of radon have an even greater chance of developing lung cancer than if they are just smokers.
According to Health Canada's survey some regions in Canada have up to 44% of the homes above the guideline. Radon is present in every building, but the concentration is higher in some.
Though most of the surveys have been done in homes, Radon is also present in workplaces and commercial buildings.
Building Codes
The current National Building Code requires measures to ensure that cost effective steps are taken at the time of construction to ensure that the effective Radon Mitigation can be installed in the future, if testing reveals unacceptable levels of Radiation due to Radon gas inside the home.
The Code Includes
- Gravel layer under the slab
- Sealed slab edges
- Sealed sump pit
- Well sealed membrane around the foundation, all posts and all entry points
- Rough in pipe
These Measures Do Not Fix Radon. They will make an active radon mitigation system quieter, more efficient, and more effective. If a post occupancy radon test reveals the presence of high Radon the system requires activation by a C-NRPP certified Radon Professional.
For This Code To Be Effective:
- Homeowners need to know they still have to test for Radon and activate the system if they have high levels by having a C-NRPP professional activate the system.
- The code needs to be adopted by the province and municipality
- The code needs to be enforced by the building inspectors
- The builders need to understand what the measures are and why they are required.
Homeowners also need to be aware that:
- They need these measures for their home
- They need to TEST their home for Radon once they move in, as these measures don't fix Radon, they are the rough-in for a full active system, if radon levels are elevated.
Protecing Low-Income Canadians
- Providing grants or access to low interest loans would help Canadians access the finances they need to make their home safe.
- Ensuring LAndlords test theri homes before being granted a rental licence will ensure that tenants are protected.
- Cahnges to the labour Code to ensure that Canadian Workplaces are tested and made Radon Safe.
Make sure builders in your community know and follow the current National Building Code.
Tom Weber at 11:48 AM
Radon Awareness and Tarion's Radon Gas Warranty Coverage
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
Over the last few years, exposure to radon gas as a potential concernfor new home buyers has recieved heightened media attention. Health Canada issued a report in 2012 -- suggesting that up to 16% of lung cancer cases could be attributed to long term exposure to radon gas.
Tarion clarified the impact that radon gas issues would have on a home's warranty coverage. If radon gas is found in a home in significant amounts, it will be covered by tarion. To assist Tarion employees in making consistant warranty descisions related to radon gas, a guideline has been developed when dealing with the potential radon-related claims. The reported defect must be that Radon Gas is in excess of Health Canada's acceptable levels of 200Bq/m3, in order for it to be covered by Tarion. These guidelines account for the Ontario Building Code requirements for Radon and soil gas contral.
Warranty Coverage for Radon Claims
1st year: fit for habitation (if radon levels are >200 Bq/m3)
OBC Violations (if the home is not in compliance with 9.1.1.7, 9.13.4.2, and Radon levels are >200 Bq/m3
2nd year: OBC Health and Safety (if the home is not in compliance with 9.1.1.7, 9.13.4.1, or 9.13.4.2, and Radon levels >200 Bq/m3)
Years 3-7 MSD coverage (if the home is not in compliance with 9.1.1.7, 9.13.4.1, or 9.13.4.2, and Radon levels 200 Bq/m3
A valid Radon claim could potentially be covered by the first year warranty, under the "fit for habitation" criteria or if the home is not in compliance with the OBC guidelines. It could also be potentially covered by the second year warranty if the home does not meet the OBC guidelines. In addition, given the heightened awareness of the potential risks posed by the radon contamination, a claim could fall within the definatition of a Major Structural Defect should the problem be considered one that renders the home uninhabitable.
What Warranty Limits Apply to Radon Claims
Claims that involve radon are limited in the following ways:
Costs incured to substantiate a radon claim are not covered
Personal injury / health issues caused by Radon are not covered
Damage to personal property is not covered
In addition Radon claims paid by Tarion are limited by a financial cap. The financial cap on Radon related claims is set out as follows.
"... the maximum amount payable (...) for damage caused by environmentally harmful substances or hazards, deleterious substances, mould or any other fungal or bacteria contamination, is $15,000.00 per home"
The limit will apply to repairs to remediate a radon problem carried out by Tarion.
In order fro a Radon claim to be accepted, the home owner must provide the following supporting materials:
Test results identifying average radon levels in basment (finished or unfinished, but not from crawl spaces)
Identification of test mothodology (short term test: less than 3 months, or long term test: minimum of 3 months as per Health Canada's Guide for Radon Measurements in Residential Dwellings (Homes)
Test measurement results from a certified professional by the Canadian National Proficiency Program (C-NRPP)
If the above information indicates average Radon levels > 200 Bq/m3 as indicated in a short-term test, then further investigation is required in the form of a long term test.
If the above information indicates average radon levels >200 Bq/m3 as indicated in a long-term test, then the information is deemed acceptable and the case may proceed to remediation.
The bulletin was put out by Tarion.
Home owners in most cases through conversation I have found out do not have knowledge of this information from their builders.
Tom Weber at 11:35 AM
Radon Potential and Indoor Environmental Issue
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Alder CReek Inspections and Consulting,
serving areas in South Westerm Ontario including Waterloo Region, Cambridge, Guelph, Stratford, Goderich, Woodstock, etc.
Rdon potential in the Waterloo Region and Southwestern Ontario as a real issue. Radon requires a particular test to be completed to evaluate the amount of Radon in the home or place of work.Acording to Health Canada Southwestern Ontario is in the high catagory for Radon in Canada.
The Health Canada map puts Waterloo Region directly in the high content, zone 1 area. Indoor air quality is a very serious problem with Canadians spending as much as 90% of their time indoors. Radon is the second largest cause of Lung Cancer next to cigarette smoke. Radon kills approximatley 3200 Canadians per year. Radon content in building has nothing to do with the construction of the home or the materials used for construction. Radon is from the soils we live on. With homes being so air tight the Radon or air quality issues do not get diluted as well with outside air anymore.
The graph show the EPA statistics on deaths related to Radon.
The Government is working on a bill that will require all commercial buildings to be tested for Radon content. This will be for all buildings from restaurants to office towers. All will be required to be tested and mitigated if nessessary.
Alder Creek is a member of the association C-ARTS who is the body representing the Radon awareness movement.
Alder Creek also in its arsinal deals with poor indoor air quality due to contamints in the air we breath. Sick building syndrome is also an issue Alder Creek deals with for home owners and office environments. We have reduced sick days for clients down to as low as possible. When installing these systems people in general feel better with more energy and focus on their task at hand.
Please feel free to contact Alder Creek Inspections and Consulting for a consultation.
Our affiliates for air quality testing along with lab results are.
Serving Waterloo Region, Kitchener, Cambridge, Guelph, Stratford, Woodstock, Goderich and South Western Ontario
According to the building code changes all new construction will require and Radon Rough In System installed below the concrete basement floor. This system will have to be checked for air flow communication.
Alder Creek Inspection and Consulting will install ducting under the concrete slab before the floors are poured. Another way would be to install a heavy plastic barrier to seal off from between the sub soils and the living space of the home. This alos will have to be read for communication points under the structure. This excersize has a great effect on the indoor air quality of the home. The test are performed in areas where the people or pest inhabit areas of the home or building fro more than 4 hours at a time.
Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer next to cigarette smoking. The threshold limit for Radon in Canada is 200 Bqm/3. In europe the limit is 100 Bqm/3 and in USA the limit is 150 Bqm/3.
When completing Radon testing one thing to remember is that with the increase of every 100 Bqm/3 the chances of contracting lung Cancer goes up by 16%.
Every home will have some radon in the indoor air of the home. The question will allways remain that if you do not test for Radon you will never know the amount of Radon and if you have a problem with the quantity of Radon.
Testing for Rdon is crtical.
Affiliate companies Alder Creek works with to complete indoor air quality testing are.
Alder Creek Inspections and Consulting, Serving areas of Kitchener, Waterloo, Stratford, Cambridge, Goderich, Woodstock and Southwestern Ontario
The home purchase in one of the most important purchases you will make in your life time. The home inspection is a very important aspect of this purchase. Although the inspection is only a visual inspection and not invasive the Inspector can in most cases find hidden troules of the home and inform you of these defects. By looking at the way the home is structured and the internal functions of the home, a extra set of eyes can report on many of these areas of the home to inform clients of defects normally not found by an untrained eye. During the home inspection odours of the home can be made not of and Alder Creek can help eliminate the odours and bacteria left behind from the previous owners. Ozone shock treatments can remedy this issue in the home. Alder Creek also can install a Terminator in the furnace duct system to help eliminate toxins in the air of the home.
Radon testing should also be part of the home inspection process. When having this test completed in the home this should be completed by a licensed and qualified person. Alder Creek carries this license. How I describe this is that if you were to have electrical work completed on your home would you do it your self and carry any burden yourself if something goes wrong or would you rather hire a professional to do the work who is trained to complete the process with proper protocol.
Alder Creek is a member of CARST which is the governing body for Radon.
Alder Creek INspections and Consulting, serving Guelph, Kitchener, Waterloo, Goderich, Cambridge, Stratford, Woodstock, and areas of South Western Ontario.
During the Home Inspection Process Alder Creek would recomend that an Air Quality Test be completed. Clients actually have no idea when purchasing a home what the previous people had in the house for plants, or pets and other contaminants.
Radon testing in homes and places of work is highly recomended. Radon kills in Canada approx 3200 people per year. If you area smoker your chances of getting lung cancer is dramitacaly increases. Radon can be tested fairly easily by contacting Alder CReek to come to your home and place the Radon Monitor for a short term test or a long term test. The long term test will be the more accurate of the tests as it gives a bigger window for testing and gaining data. Radon is prevelent in the southern Ontario markets. Radon is fairly easy to deal with but without a test being completed in your home there is no way to know if your home has an issue with Radon or not.
Alder Creek has joined forces with Medallion Healthy Homes for the purpose of removing heavy odours from building. Cigarette, pet urine, skunk, cooking odours, dust mites. Can all be removed by the process of Ozone Shock Treatment.
Alder Creek Inspections and Consulting, serving Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph, Startford, Goderich, Woodstock, and other areas in Southwestern Ontario.
During the home inspection process, Alder Creek has come upon many homes with heavy odours. Some of these homes become hard to sell due to the odour issue. Along with the odour issue we quite often come across Molds in areas of the home where the clients are palanning to live in. The Mold and Odour Issue is a relatively easy issue to deal with using Ozone Shock Treatments.
Ozone is a naturally produced product of our atmoshpere. Alder Creek can generate Ozone using a special UV proprietary system proven to assist in all these cases. The best part during the odour removal process the by product is Oxygen.
The imune system benefits in many ways with Ozone shock treatments.
Alder Creek has joined forces with Medallion Healthy Homes to provide this service throughout Ontario.
Alder Creek Inspections and Consulting, serving areas Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph, Cambridge, Stratford, Goderich, Woodstock, and other areas around Southwestern Ontario.
Homes in Canada Radon levels have been measured from as low as 10Bq/m3 to as high as 10,000Bq/m3. Health Canada recomends levels over 200Bq/m3 should be mitigated. Short term tests are completed to determine if a longb term test should be completed. Normally we recomend once you reach a level much over 100Bq/m3 a long term test should be completed for more accurate levels. If your home stays under the 200Bq/m3 mark you should re-test at some point from 3 - 5 years again. If your home shows from between 200Bq/m3 to 600Bq/m3 mitic=gation shpuld be completed within 2 years. If over 600Bq/m3 mitigation should be completed in less than 1 year.
During a normal home inspection this cannot be detected. Radon caries no odour or taste. To complete these tests a licenced CNRPP technician needs to perform these to cary the appropriate validity for legal purposes. A home sale is one of these cases.
Alder Creek Inspection and Consulting can also complete air quaility testing for Pathogens, Molds, Asthma Triggers, etc.
Alder Creek affiliation with RespirCare for air quality tesing and 3rd party varification for grow opps, and other remediation purposes.
Odour removal systems for bad smells in homes is completed through ozone shock treatments. This is a extremely effective process that does not leave behind any residue in the home or building.
Home Inspections Along With Radon and Indoor Air Quality
Monday, March 6, 2017
Alder Creek Inspections and Consulting servicing the KItchener, Waterloo, Guelph, Cambridge, Startford, Goderich, Woodsock, and areas in between.
With the indoor air quality becoming a greater issue over the past several years, Alder Creek, has spent the time and energy to become a Radon Licence carrier. Radon in Ontario is a substantial issue. Radon is the largest cause of lung Cancer among the non smoking public. Radon is also the largest cause of lung cancer next to smoking being the largest cause of lung cancer.
Every home has Radon present. The key is to have youe home tested for Radon to ensure your home is a healthy place to live. Most people forget about the place of work, we spend a good portion of our days working in buildings which are no different than our homes for Radon related issues. If some one is thinking of finishing their basement to use for a family room or an extension of their home a test should be comleted before renovations are completed.
Radon cannot be detected by a regular home inspection, this is a very specific test that need to be completed and monitored by a licenced Radon professional.
Alder Creek also completes various other indoor air qaulity testing. At Alder Creek bing part of the Medallion Healthy Home Group along with part of the RespirCare group this makes Alder Creek a good fit to check and monitor clients indoor air qaulity issues.
Improve Your Indoor Air Quality By Testing The Air We Breath
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Alder Creek Inspections and Consulting
Serving the Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph, Cambridge, Stratford, Goderich, Woodstock and points between.
Alder Creek Inspections and Consulting long with Medallion Canada has products avaialabe to help improve the air we breath. Our indoor air quality is constantly being contaminated by chemicls, germs and bacteria that we constantly bring into the home from many sources beyond our control. With homes being so air tight the dilution of our indoor air qaulity is being challanged every day. Air quality issues that make us sick on a regular basis help create what we call the sick building sundrome.
Air Quality Testing by Alder Creek Inspections and Consulting is Air Quality and Contamination testing Completed in conjuction with the RespirCare Canada. RespirCare Canada is a highly qualified with the top credidations available. The indoor environment test are completed by testing for Molds, Alergen Detections, and Asthma Triggers. Alder Creek will come to your home or place of work to complete the required testing to determine health effects of your indoor air quality environment.
The Health Canada map puts Waterloo Region directly in the high content, zone 1 area. Indoor air quality is a very serious problem with Canadians spending as much as 90% of their time indoors. Radon is the second largest cause of Lung Cancer next to cigarette smoke. Radon kills approximatley 3200 Canadians per year. Radon content in building has nothing to do with the construction of the home or the materials used for construction. Radon is from the soils we live on. With homes being so air tight the Radon or air quality issues do not get diluted as well with outside air anymore. 
The graph show the EPA statistics on deaths related to Radon. 
Alder Creek Inspection and Consulting will install ducting under the concrete slab before the floors are poured. Another way would be to install a heavy plastic barrier to seal off from between the sub soils and the living space of the home. This alos will have to be read for communication points under the structure. This excersize has a great effect on the indoor air quality of the home. The test are performed in areas where the people or pest inhabit areas of the home or building fro more than 4 hours at a time. 
Every home will have some radon in the indoor air of the home. The question will allways remain that if you do not test for Radon you will never know the amount of Radon and if you have a problem with the quantity of Radon.
The home purchase in one of the most important purchases you will make in your life time. The home inspection is a very important aspect of this purchase. Although the inspection is only a visual inspection and not invasive the Inspector can in most cases find hidden troules of the home and inform you of these defects. By looking at the way the home is structured and the internal functions of the home, a extra set of eyes can report on many of these areas of the home to inform clients of defects normally not found by an untrained eye. During the home inspection odours of the home can be made not of and Alder Creek can help eliminate the odours and bacteria left behind from the previous owners. Ozone shock treatments can remedy this issue in the home. Alder Creek also can install a Terminator in the furnace duct system to help eliminate toxins in the air of the home. 
Radon testing in homes and places of work is highly recomended. Radon kills in Canada approx 3200 people per year. If you area smoker your chances of getting lung cancer is dramitacaly increases. Radon can be tested fairly easily by contacting Alder CReek to come to your home and place the Radon Monitor for a short term test or a long term test. The long term test will be the more accurate of the tests as it gives a bigger window for testing and gaining data. Radon is prevelent in the southern Ontario markets. Radon is fairly easy to deal with but without a test being completed in your home there is no way to know if your home has an issue with Radon or not. 
The imune system benefits in many ways with Ozone shock treatments. 
Air Quality Testing by Alder Creek Inspections and Consulting is Air Quality and Contamination testing Completed in conjuction with the RespirCare Canada. RespirCare Canada is a highly qualified with the top credidations available. The indoor environment test are completed by testing for Molds, Alergen Detections, and Asthma Triggers. Alder Creek will come to your home or place of work to complete the required testing to determine health effects of your indoor air quality environment. 
