Mike Holmes, star of Holmes Makes it Right will be paying a visit to a local Canadian’s home to help them test it for the presence of radon gas and mitigate the problem. Of course, the home has already tested positive for excessive levels – the idea is to raise awareness about the silent killer.
Michael and Jana Katz have lived in their Niagara Falls home for 28 years now. In fact, they are the sole owners of the home and have lived in it since it was built. They tested the home for radon recently and found levels over 950 Bq/m3. For comparison, Health Canada has set a recommended action level of 200 Bq/m3 which the Katz home far exceeds.
To raise awareness about the dangers and presence of radon gas, the Katz family will be allowing Mike Holmes and his team to demonstrate how to test a home for its presence. In addition, they will be working with a team of certified radon mitigation experts to remove the deadly gas from the home – making it safe again for the Katz family.
The Presence of Radon Gas and What it Means
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in Canada and the US – the first in non-smokers. It is a deadly, natural gas that can seep into a home through cracks in the foundation, walls and flooring. It is released as a natural decay product of uranium and a couple of other elements, commonly found in soil and rock in the ground. In that respect, almost every home in both countries will be affected by radon gas. Of course, new homes are built using radon resistant construction but that doesn’t mean the gas can’t make its way inside – radon can indeed still be a problem in new homes. Therefore, it doesn’t matter what type of home you have, whether or not you have a basement, or even geographically where you live – you should always have your home tested for the presence of radon gas.
To offer some radon stats:
- 16% of lung cancer deaths are radon-related
- In 2006, 1900 Canadians died as a result of lung cancer from radon exposure
- It is estimated that 7% of all Canadians are living in a home with elevated radon levels
- In the US, more than 20,000 deaths every year are related to lung cancer from radon exposure
Mike Holmes and the Presence of Radon Gas Presentation
At 10am on Thursday, September 18, 2014 Mike Holmes and his team will be holding the presentation at the Katz residence. Experts from the Ontario Lung Association, Health Canada, and the Canadian Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists will be on site to answer questions and assist with the presentation. If you’d like to become familiar with radon testing for mitigation you should definitely attend the event.
The Katz residence is located at 6449 Marco Crescent, Niagara Falls, ON.
Via: Power Engineering
