How healthy is the air in your home?

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a common class of airborne toxins known as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) is ruining indoor air quality, and causing some U.S. homeowners to become dizzy, asthmatic, and ill.

VOCs are gases emitted by certain, common household products, including paint and paint strippers, cleaning supplies, and copiers and printers — even when the aforementioned products aren’t in use. You can find VOCs “everywhere” because organic chemical compounds have become essential in everyday life.

VOCs are what give cars that “new car smell”. They’re also the cause of “Sick Building Syndrome“.

As a homeowner , VOCs in your home can make you sick. Therefore, the EPA advises homeowners to take the following steps to reduce VOC levels in their respective homes and improve and home air quality.

1. When using VOC-emitting products such as paints and paint thinners, keep a well-ventilated home.
2. Avoid purchasing cleaning supplies or paint in bulk. Buy only what you need.
3. Never mix household cleansers. It may yield unintended results.
4. Throw out “dry cleaning bags” as soon as possible. Most dry cleaning makes use of harmful VOCs.
5. Do not burn tobacco products inside your home. 

There are a half-dozen other recommendations, too. They’re listed on the EPA website.

You can’t remove VOCs from your home, but you can minimize their negative effects. And keep your household as healthy as possible.

As if we didn’t have enough to worry about with all the chemicals in our food, our furniture, our carpet, and toys manufactured in a country far away we now have to worry about Radon gas too?  Radon is an odorless (not like grandpa’s gas), colorless, naturally occurring radioactive gas that’s formed from the decay of radium contained in rock, soil, and water.  Radon gas reportedly causes over 20,000 lung cancer deaths per year in the United States.  It is also the second most frequent cause of lung cancer deaths with cigarette smoking taking the number one spot.
When purchasing a home, especially a home with a basement, it is very important to have the radon levels checked before you buy the home.  Most home inspectors are able to perform a radon test and the cost to do so is usually around $100.  According to the EPA, radon levels above 4 pCi/L (picocuries per liter) are a health hazard.  If radon levels are high you should install a radon mitigation system.  Most radon mitigation systems will start at $800 or higher depending on the size of the basement, crawl spaces, and foundation/flooring composition.

Radon levels vary depending on geographic locations and soil composition and levels from home to home can vary.  If you would like to see where radon levels are most prevalent check out the map below.

A good real estate agent will always recommend you test for radon if you are about to purchase a home with a basement.  It is definitely worth the extra money to test for radon especially if you will be spending time in the basement of your new home.  A short term test may take 2-3 days and test results may take an additional 1-3 so get this tested as soon as possible after you are under contract.  Most sellers are willing to remedy the issue by installing or paying for a radon mitigation system.

Don’t be a RADON casualty!!