We are still shipping!

The Canada Post strike has certainly presented some shipping challenges for us over the past few weeks. However, we are pleased to continue shipping with alternate carriers until they resume regular service.

Unfortunately, we are still unable to ship to a PO Box or areas considered to be “extended service areas” but we look forward to servicing all areas as soon as the Canada Post strike is over.

We would like to send a special thank you to our customers for their patience and understanding as we navigate this temporary disruption and work out those kinks.

You have all been wonderful!

Radon Awareness Campaign | BCREA, BC Lung and Real Estate Foundation of BC

November is RADON ACTION MONTH, and the BC Real Estate Association, BC Lung Foundation, and Real Estate Foundation of BC have announced the launch of a collaborative Radon Gas Public Awareness Campaign. This campaign is designed to spread awareness and educate British Columbians about Radon Gas and its harmful health risks.

Learn more at radonkills.ca/bc

In The News: FVRD to continue residential radon testing despite only half of free kits being returned

Promising news, kudos to the FVRD for listening and taking swift action to get the message into the community; test for radon and take control of your indoor air quality and lung health!

**** Full Article from Fraser Valley Today written by Don Mitchell

CHILLIWACK — The Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) has once again approved a potential $10,000 expenditure for a winter residential radon-testing program.

Despite only around half of the 500 test kits being returned to the region’s environmental services from a similar initiative this past year, the Regional and Corporate Committee has decided to renew the project.

With radon characterized as a potential health hazard by Fraser Health, the 90-day kits were distributed in late 2023 across municipal and electoral areas.

Health authorities previously stated that they didn’t have adequate test results for radon across the region.

Read Full Article, by Don Mitchell, Fraser Valley Today

Saving Life Through Real Estate, a 5-part series with Tina Mak and Alan Whitehead

Radon Environmental’s Alan Whitehead joined Tina Mak on AM1320 Radio to talk Radon.

This 5 part series "Saving Life Through Real Estate" covers a wide range of information everyone should know. Tina is a non-smoker, and stage 4 lung cancer patient, who is deeply passionate about learning and raising awareness about Radon Gas and its impact on your health.

Follow Part 1 and Part 2 here!

Learn more about Tina Mak here.

National Post Article, Where is radon most commonly found by Mike Holmes

This is an excellent article from Mike Holmes highlighting what you should know about Radon gas and why we should take it seriously.

Where is radon most commonly found?

Author of the article:

Mike Holmes

Published Nov 07, 2023  •  3 minute read

November is typically lung-health month, often including discussions on radon gas. I’ve been talking about radon gas and its effects on homeowners’ health for many years, and we still need to keep the conversation going. So, I thought I’d review some highlights to help educate homeowners because many still don’t know about radon or even think about it.

Radon is a radioactive gas that’s naturally occurring. It’s formed when uranium in the ground breaks down and seeps into the soil. From there, it can make its way into your home through soil, pipes, windows, sump pumps, unfinished floors, crawl spaces, cracks in foundation walls, and floors.

Read Full Article, National Post

November is Radon Action Month

Message from the Minister of Health – Radon Action Month

Source From: Health Canada

Statement

November 1, 2023 | Ottawa, ON | Health Canada

“This November marks the 10th anniversary of Radon Action Month, a month dedicated to raising awareness of the health risks of radon and encouraging people in Canada to take action and test their home. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that - through prolonged exposure at elevated levels - can take a serious toll on a person's health. In fact, radon is the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers and is responsible for the deaths of over 3,000 people in Canada per year.

The health risks of radon are serious but the solution to protecting yourself and your family is simple: you can easily test your home for radon. Test kits are available online, at select local retailers, and from certified radon professionals. In many homes across Canada, a radon mitigation system can be installed in less than a day, which can reduce radon levels by more than 90%.

This Radon Action Month, take action to protect your health and test your home for radon. Visit Health Canada's website for more information on radon gas and its health effects. You can also access more information and additional resources by visiting Take Action on Radon.”

The Honourable Mark Holland, P.C., M.P.

Contacts

Christopher Aoun
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Mark Holland
Minister of Health
613-291-4176

Media Relations
Health Canada
613-957-2983
media@hc-sc.gc.ca

Source: Government of Canada

Article: Cancer-stricken B.C. Realtor calls on public health to take action on radon

Jill Hall has been working tirelessly to raise radon awareness within our community and advocating for much-needed change.

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“A Chilliwack Realtor is urging Fraser Health to take a more decisive role in protecting the public from the risks of radon.

Jill Hall is a non-smoker diagnosed with lung cancer, who has been sounding the alarm after family and friends’ homes in the community were found to have higher-than-acceptable levels of radon.

Radon gas is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, and rates are rising globally.

Hall has been leading the charge, diving into the fray from behind the scenes after her brother found extremely high levels in his Chilliwack home.

She contacted health agencies and various levels of government, pushing for more testing, awareness, and changes to the building code to add roughed-in radon mitigation at the time of all new construction after elevated levels were also found in buildings across the region”…

Rossland News, Article by Jennifer Feinberg

Read Full Article

FVRD lobbies the BC Government for Radon Mitigation Funding. Article by Mike Vanden Bosch (Fraser Valley Today)

CHILLIWACK — “Following the release of radon test analyses that showed elevated levels of radon in Electoral Area H (Cultus Lake and Lindell) and Hope, Fraser Valley Regional District staff support an effort to buy 200 radon kits and lobby the BC government for funding to help residents with radon mitigation systems in their homes.

According to a FVRD staff report prepared by environmental services coordinator Elias Ross, radon is a colourless, odourless gas that is linked to the deaths of more than 3,000 Canadians each year. Radon is reported to be the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, according to the Canadian Cancer Society. Radon gets naturally released into the environment from decaying radioactive materials in the earth.”

Read Full Article By Mike Vanden Bosch (Fraser Valley Today)

Radon Mitigation for Builders

 Radon Mitigation System in Home Building

Every house contains some radon. Moreover, radon concentrations vary geographically and change at different times of the year.

Radon is present in every indoor environment, so it’s vital that homeowners must have their homes tested. Because long-term exposure to radon gas is harmful and can even lead to lung cancer.

Check out the Radon Potential Map of Canada Any home can have dangerous radon levels, regardless of geography.

How Does Radon Get into Home

Radon can seep into a home through soil, windows, cracks in foundation walls and floors, loose pipes fittings and support posts, floor drains and sump pumps, wall, floor joists, and even through your water facets! Concrete is porous, and radon is a gas. Therefore, that means it can penetrate through even the tiniest holes in a house.

Radon Mitigation System for Builders

There are three levels of radon reduction systems that builders can install into new construction.

• Level 1 is a Rough-In for Active Soil Depressurization for Radon Reduction

• Level 2- Full Passive Vertical Radon Stack

• Level 3- Full Active Soil Depressurization

Level 1 radon - reduction system

Level 1 is a Rough-In for Active Soil Depressurization for Radon Reduction. A radon-reduction system's entrance point for radon and other soil gasses is a pipe that extends into a soil gas collector (typically gravel) beneath the foundation floor. The pipe finally comes to an end and is covered just above the slab.

This system is merely a rough-in, and if radon mitigation is needed, a fan system can be added. In order to reduce radon ingress, a membrane has also been placed beneath the concrete slab and is sealed to the foundation wall. The majority of provinces and territories have followed this strategy, according to CARST.

Also, it is essential to caulk any foundation cracks and joints as well as the areas near the sump pit, floor drains, and other pipes.

Level 2 - Full Passive Vertical Radon Stack

Level 2 is an extension of Level 1, where the pipe from Level 1 is extended up through space vertically and out through a wall to terminate outdoors. Provisions must be taken to ensure the pipe is properly sealed to ensure re-entrainment of radon does not occur. The system relies on naturally occurring pressure differentials generated by the stack effect to mitigate radon. This level is now being used in the BC building code.

Level 3- Full Active Soil Depressurization

System Level 3 uses the pipe from Level 2 and also includes a low wattage radon fan. The system relies on the radon fan to induce a pressure difference to exhaust soil gasses and radon from under the slab. Radon fans run continuously, and a system pressure monitor is installed for the monitoring of the system. This method has been shown to be highly effective at reducing radon concentrations in a building.

Many different products are available that can be used in the installation process of a radon reduction system. Radon Guard and Radon Block are the best choices to prevent radon from the beginning.

Radon Mitigation System - RADON GUARD™

Radon Guard® Insulation is a key component of any radon mitigation system. This code compliant replacement for code required 100mm layer of granular material under slab, is a 2 in 1 system that both insulates and protects interior spaces from radon gas for generations.

Radon Mitigation System - RADON BLOCK™

Radon Block® is the leading high performance radon blocking barrier membrane. It resists gas and moisture migration into the building envelope, providing superior protection from toxic and harmful chemicals. Evaluated as a code alternative solution CCMC 14024-R.

Contact us to discuss your radon mitigation options. With the proper radon mitigation system, radon levels can be reduced by more than 80% .

How Radon Block and Radon Guard work in an Active Soil Depressurization method

Radon Mitigation for Your Home

All about Radon and Radon Mitigation System for Homeowners

What is radon?

Radon is a radioactive gas created from the decay of uranium minerals present in rock, soil and water. You cannot see, taste or smell radon. Outdoors there is little danger as radon is diluted in the open air. Indoors, radon can be trapped and become concentrated in enclosed poorly ventilated spaces resulting in a significant increased health risk.

Radon is the leading environmental cause of lung cancer and the second-leading cause of lung cancer next to smoking. Radon-induced lung cancer is preventable, Health Canada’s take action guideline is 200bq/m3. If your home tests above this take action guideline, a mitigation system should be installed.

Check out the Radon Potential Map of Canada.

What is Radon Mitigation?

RADON MITIGATION is the process used to reduce radon gas concentrations in the home or in a building.

What is a Radon Test?

The radon test is a test to identify the level of radon in your home. A radon test can be done by a professional home inspector or by yourself using a radon test kit or the radon tester. Testing radon can be a DIY project. Besides, there is also radon testing equipment for inspectors.

A radon test identifies the radon level in your home so you can make an informed decision and take action if necessary. You can purchase a long-term radon detector and test yourself or hire a certified radon professional to test for you.

Do I need to test for radon?

All homes have some amount of radon, the question is how much. Since you cannot see, taste or smell radon, scientific testing is needed for detection. Testing for radon is an important part of assessing your Indoor Air Quality and should be taken seriously to protect the health of everyone who enters your home. High levels of radon can lead to a significant risk of lung cancer.

Radon Mitigation in Well Water

Some radon stays in the water, drinking water containing radon also presents a risk of developing internal organ cancers, primarily stomach cancer. Radon is only a concern in your water if your drinking water comes from a well (groundwater). Water from wells can have high radon concentrations because radon is relatively insoluble in water.

Water use releases radon into the indoor air and contributes to the total indoor airborne radon concentrations. Radon can be off gassed in the shower, kitchen sink and through the laundry. Radon can be removed from our water using an aeration system, this can significantly reduce the level of radon in your water. The Airwell radon system lowers radon levels in well water up to 99%.

AIRWELL™

Solve the problem of radon in well water before water enters the home. Radon reductions up to 99%.

How does radon gas enter your home

1 . Soil 

2. Windows 

3. Cracks in walls & floors 

4. Loose pipe fittings & support posts 

5. Floor drains & sump pumps 

6. Wall & floor joints 

7. Ground water

Article: Chilliwack City Councillor Sounds Alarm About Potentially High Radon Levels In Local Homes

Article by Jennifer Feinberg from The Abbotsford News - “A Chilliwack city councillor is sounding the alarm over concerns that homeowners may be unaware of the implications of having high levels of radon gas in their homes.

Communities to the east and west of Chilliwack, in Hope and Abbotsford, already require radon mitigation systems to be roughed in at the time of new construction, Coun. Chris Kloot pointed out.

But he wondered how many Chilliwack homeowners are in fact aware of the radon situation, as the whole topic was “evolving” with goalposts shifting.” Continue Reading Article

THE ABBOTSFORD NEWS

ARTICLE BY: JENNIFER FEINBERG

Fraser Valley Regional Library | What Is Radon?

FVRL is hosting a radon information event March 29 and March 30!

Alan Whitehead will be speaking with Dr. Anne-Marie Nicol about radon and its health effects next week in Chilliwack. Join us virtually March 29 or attend the drop-in live event March 30th at the Yarrow Library.

Excellent learning opportunity!