SAFETY COMES FIRST
Watch for signs of gas exposure
The wintertime is the best time to think about your indoor air quality.
Think about it: During these cold months, we’re typically spending more time indoors, where we’ve got the doors and windows sealed tight, and the furnace kicked into overdrive.
We just had some pretty big winter storms here, and I don’t know about you, but that keeps me locked up inside, in front of a big roaring fire and a drink or two.
A lot of homeowners may not give a lot of thought to their indoor air quality, but did you know that the air we breathe in our home can actually be more contaminated than the air outside? If your home is properly sealed up, those contaminants don’t really have anywhere to go, and we continue to breathe them in, potentially causing harm. So it’s important to know what we are breathing at home, and if it’s harmful, what we can do about it.
SILENT BUT VIOLENT
There are a few contaminants that we can be breathing in without knowing about it. I’m talking about radon and carbon monoxide. These gases have no smell, taste, or visible indicator — but they can be deadly when inhaled in large quantities.
I’ve been talking about radon for years. It’s a gas that’s released when the uranium in our soil begins to break down.
When it’s released into our atmosphere, it dilutes — but if it gets into our homes and isn’t dealt with, it can accumulate to large, harmful quantities over time. Radon can find a lot of entry points into our homes: our foundation, pipes, windows, even through well water.
Long-term radon exposure is linked to about 16 per cent of all lung cancer deaths in Canada. It’s the leading cause of the disease for non-smokers — and it’s something we all need to take seriously. You can’t feel the effects of radon, so there’s no way to “feel” out if you’ve got a high concentration of radon in your home.
How do you know if you’ve got radon accumulated to dangerous levels? The only way to know is to test your levels.
There are short-term and longterm tests kits available. In fact, I’m happy to see more builders taking this seriously and testing the homes they build for radon.
Winter’s a good time to test, and if you find that your levels are too high (Health Canada recommends taking action for radon levels over 200 Bq/m3), you’ve got several options to mitigate the problem. Sealing cracks in your foundation and installing a cap on your sump pump could be enough, or you may need to take larger steps.
Each year, carbon monoxide exposure is responsible for the avoidable deaths of too many Canadians. Unlike radon, there are some warning signs that you’re being exposed to carbon monoxide. Symptoms can include headaches, dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, loss of consciousness and more.
Have you got your carbon monoxide detectors installed at home? I hope so, they’re required by law across Ontario — but even if your province doesn’t mandate them, I would still install them alongside your smoke detectors. You should have one on every floor of the house and in your garage, too. Make sure you test and change the batteries in your units regularly. And if the alarm goes off, don’t ignore it. If you feel those telltale symptoms, leave your home immediately and call 911.
WHAT ’S THAT SMELL?
Your nose knows — and if you smell something that’s off, you’ll want to go hunting for the source.
Our indoor air quality can be compromised by volatile organic compounds (VOCs) — chemical byproducts that are found in a lot of our building materials. Depending on the materials you use, they can off-gas VOCs for years.
Breathing in VOCs over a long period of time can take a toll on your health.
When looking for new furniture and finishes for your home, look for products that contain no to low VOCs.
Do you smell something musty in your home? That’s a clue that you could have a problem with moisture in your home, which could lead to mould. Your first job is to tackle that excess moisture.
Properly sealing your building envelope is a good start; look for broken caulking or weatherstripping that needs to be replaced. If the smell is in your basement, there could be a problem with your foundation or weeping tile.
You’ll want to keep an eye out for new or growing cracks, and call in a foundation expert when necessary.
Keep yourself breathing easy at home this winter. Keep the quality of your indoor air at the top of your mind, and take the proper steps to keep your home healthy. Watch Mike Holmes in his series, Holmes Makes It Right, on HGTV. For more information, be sure to visit makeitright.ca.