Healthy Home & Radon

Healthy Home Solutions and Radon Testing

The professional inspection services offered by CloudBreak Advisory include healthy home assessments that are backed by the extensive knowledge of the environmental health impacts that a home, and the products in a home, can have on adults and children alike, especially those with respiratory issues. The assessments are based on the seven healthy homes principles developed by the National Center for Healthy Housing.

*Visit our new website!

Radon Testing

Visit our new website!: Radon Testing


Radon comes from the natural radioactive breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water. It is an invisible, odorless, tasteless, cancer-causing gas that enters buildings through the numerous cracks, holes, and pipes in the foundation. It can also enter a building from well water.


Radon can be found in any building, but homes are the most concerning since that is where families spend the most time.

CloudBreak Advisory offers  a reliable and economical radon measurement as part of a real estate transaction or for homeowners that want to be informed about the radon levels in their home. 


With a Radon Measurement Professional certified by the National Radon Proficiency Program (NRPP) you can ensure that an accurate test  of the home's radon potential will be performed according to ANSI-AARST Standard Protocol for Conducting Measurements of Radon in Homes.

Benefits

CloudBreak Advisory has the experience, maintains independence, and leverages our knowledge to provide solutions that many are not able to replicate. Our advisory professionals come to the table ready to make a difference and provide extraordinary value.

Healthy Homes Inspections

Who Could Benefit?

 *Visit our new website!:Healthy Homes


The goal of the healthy home inspection and consultation service is to go above and beyond the typical home inspection that is offered by conducting an inspection using the Seven Principles for a Healthy Home that has been developed by the National Center for Healthy Housing. 


Realtors: Real Estate professionals have what is best for their client in mind when assisting in the home buying and home selling process. Realtors can use the healthy home inspection service as a marketing tool to price the home to reflect known issues, identify issues that sellers could fix prior to listing before the home inspection, or for your buyers who would be interested in having a holistic inspection that is related towards health, rather than just structural and mechanical issues as it has been scientifically recognized that housing and housing quality can affect health both directly and indirectly (Physical, chemical, biological exposures, and potential psychological impacts). 


Homeowners: A healthy home inspection should not just be reserved for a real estate transaction. Chronic health issues, like asthma, could be triggered or exacerbated by unmitigated health issues in the home. CloudBreak will work with homeowners to discuss issues they are aware of in the home, as well as any chronic health issues of the residents in the home to identify specific target areas of the home to focus on using the National Center for Healthy Housing Seven Principles of a Healthy Home to direct the overall inspection framing. 


Using over 12 years experience in public health, as well as training from the National Center for Healthy Housing, and certification from the National Radon Protection Program as a Standard and Analytical Service provider, CloudBreak has developed a standard inspection procedure for clients that is based on the National Center for Healthy Housing Seven Principles, incorporating safety, ventilation, integrated pest management, and maintenance aspects to perform a thorough assessment of the indoor and outdoor areas of the home.  *Visit our new website!

Seven Principles of a Healthy Home

The National Center for Healthy Housing has leveraged the research from several scientific studies showing the impact of housing quality on our physical and psychological health to develop the seven principles of a healthy home that should be maintained to ensure the environments that we live in are protective of our health. 


Seven Principles of a Healthy Home:

(Source: National Center for Healthy Housing)


Dry: Damp houses provide a nurturing environment for mites, roaches, rodents, and molds, all of which are associated with asthma.


Clean: Clean homes help reduce pest infestations and exposure to contaminants.


Pest-Free: Recent studies show a causal relationship between exposure to mice and cockroaches and asthma episodes in children; yet inappropriate treatment for pest infestations can exacerbate health problems, since pesticide residues in homes pose risks for neurological damage and cancer.


Safe: The majority of injuries among children occur in the home. Falls are the most frequent cause of residential injuries to children, followed by injuries from objects in the home, burns, and poisonings.


Contaminant-Free: Chemical exposures include lead, radon, pesticides, volatile organic compounds, and environmental tobacco smoke. Exposures to asbestos particles, radon gas, carbon monoxide, and secondhand tobacco smoke are far higher indoors than outside.


Ventilated: Studies show that increasing the fresh air supply in a home improves respiratory health.


Maintained: Poorly maintained homes are at risk for moisture and pest problems. Deteriorated lead-based paint in older housing is the primary cause of lead poisoning, which affects some 535,000 U.S. children.

Healthy Homes - FAQs and More Information

The quality of housing plays a decisive role in the health status of its occupants. Substandard housing conditions have been linked to adverse health effects such as childhood lead poisoning, asthma and other respiratory conditions, and unintentional injuries. 


Frequently Asked Questions


Q: What is a healthy home?
A:  There are many aspects of a healthy home. A healthy home is clean, safe, well-maintained, and well-ventilated.  A healthy home is free of pests, mold, moisture, dust, dirt, and other household contaminants.  A healthy home makes its inhabitants feel safe and secure.   


Q: Why should I have a healthy home inspection?
A: A healthy home inspection will increase your awareness of any hazards present in your home, provide you with tools and resources to remove those hazards, and promote your family's health by improving the condition of your home. Education on home safety, cleanliness, maintenance, and other issues will provide you with the knowledge to make your home a place that supports wellness.


Q: Why do I want a healthy home?
A: Much of your family's time is spent in the home. The condition of your home can greatly affect your family and their health.  A healthy home promotes mental, physical and social well-being.  If a home is not healthy, many harmful health effects can occur.



Q: What are the health effects of an unhealthy home?
A: There are many harmful conditions and diseases related to poor housing conditions. These harmful effects include: Allergies, Asthma, Carbon monoxide poisoning, Lead poisoning in children, Falls, Fires, Injuries, Insect/rodent bites, Lung cancer (related to indoor tobacco smoke and radon), Pesticide poisoning, and Respiratory illness 


Q: How can I make my home healthy?
A: Complete a full inspection of your home, keeping in mind the seven elements of a healthy home. 


Resources:


Schedule a Healthy Home Inspection

Call or email us to find out more about healthy homes or schedule a healthy home inspection.

Radon

Colorado is in the EPA Zone 1 for radon, the highest potential for indoor radon >4piC/L. Click here

Radon Tesing Services - Real Estate Transactions

Visit our new website!: Radon Testing 


More often, informed buyers are having radon tests performed when purchasing a home. Discovering elevated radon concentrations doesn’t mean you need to walk away from the deal! Testing for and mitigating radon is easy and affordable. 


At the time of resale, it is important to know what the radon exposure risk could be, independent of how someone else operates or lives in a home. Reliable testing devices and methods exist and are readily available to determine indoor radon levels. 


Section K of the Environmental Conditions portion of the Colorado Seller’s Property Disclosure Form specifically lists radon as a hazard that, if known by the seller to exist or ever have existed, must be disclosed. This is true even if previous test results were less than 4 pCi/L. In all cases, sellers should provide copies of any test results to potential buyers. 


Are you a Radon Aware Real Estate Professional? Find out more here!

Radon Testing Services - Homeowners

Visit our new website!: Radon Testing 


Testing is the only way to know if you and your family are at risk from radon. EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing all homes below the third floor for radon. Testing is inexpensive and easy and it should only take a few minutes of your time. Millions of Americans have already tested their homes for radon. In addition, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reports that over 31,000 radon tests were conducted in Colorado in 2016.

When should you test for radon? 

(AARST/ANSI 2014 Protocol for Conducting Measurements of Radon and Radon Decay Products in Homes):

  • Every 5 years
  • Between 24 hours and 30 days of installation of a mitigation system
  • New addition construction or significant renovation
  • A ground contact area not previously tested has been occupied or a home is newly occupied
  • Heating or cooling systems are significantly altered that would result in the change of air pressure or distribution
  • Ventilation is significantly altered due to extensive weatherization or changes to mechanical systems
  • Significant openings to soil occur due to:
    • addition of groundwater or slab surface water control systems (sumps, drain tiles, tub/shower retrofits, etc).
    • natural settlement causing major cracks to develop
  • Earthquakes, construction blasting, formation of nearby sinkholes
  • An installed mitigation system is altered or repaired

Certification

Visit our new website!: Radon Testing 


While radon measurement is not yet required in Colorado , CloudBreak has completed classroom study, successful examination, and testing device calibration performance certification to obtain the National Radon Proficiency Program (NRPP) American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists (AARST)/  Measurement Certification:

  • Certification with AARST/NRPP is the only way to ensure that test is performed according to ANSI-AARST Standard Protocol for Conducting Measurements of Radon in Homes. 
  • 16 Hours or Continuing Education Hours every two years
  • Annual testing equipment calibration

Measurement

Visit our new website!: Radon Testing 


Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas that may be harmful to humans. Radon testing measures radioactive events per liter of air, known as picocuries (pCi/L). While any radon exposure creates some risk to health, the Environmental Protection Agency recommends remedial actions to reduce radon be taken at the level of 4 pCi/L or higher.

 
CloudBreak radon testing service adheres to the industry standards and requirements set by AARST/NRPP:

  • In general, the test will require 12 hours of "closed house" conditions prior and during the minimum 48 hour testing period. 
  • Rigorous QA/QC developed per NRPP/AARST requirements to ensure accurate, precise, and unbiased measurements that are reliable for the client.
  • The testing equipment enables CloudBreak to monitor the testing progress via an iPhone app and can also determine if any interference with the test or device may have taken place during the testing period.

A formal analytical report will be delivered to the client within 48 hours of the end of the test and will provide discussion as to the interpretation of the results and the recommendation for mitigation if the measurement meets or exceed the current EPA standard for indoor radon levels (4 pCi/L or greater).

Radon Exposure Risk

Visit our new website!: Radon Testing 


Radon - You can't see it. You can't smell it. You can't taste it. It can kill you.


Radon is a Class A carcinogen and the second leading cause of lung cancer. Radon comes from the radioactive breakdown of naturally occurring radium found in most soils. As a gas in the soil, it enters buildings through small openings in the foundation. Since the building can hold the radon similarly to smoke trapped under a glass, indoor radon concentrations can increase to many times that of outdoor levels.


Colorado is in the EPA Zone 1 for radon, meaning that there is the highest potential for indoor radon. EPA Radon Map (searchable by county).


In Colorado between one-third and one -half of the homes have radon levels in excess of the EPA recommended action level of 4 picoCuries (pCi) of radon per liter of air. However, not all houses or buildings--even those in the same area or the same neighborhood--have the same radon level. The only way to find out what the radon level is in your house is to test for it. 


When a person is exposed to radon over many years the exposure can increase the risk of lung cancer. Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States; only smoking causes more lung cancer. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers.


Each year, about 21,000 deaths in the United States are attributed to radon-caused lung cancer. Risk of lung cancer from radon is almost 10 times higher for smokers compared to those who have never smoked. Smoking and radon together create greater risk of lung cancer than either one alone

Resources and FAQ

Visit our new website!: Radon Testing 


Frequently Asked Questions:


Q: What is Radon?

A: Radon is a naturally occurring, radioactive gas that you can’t see, taste or smell. It is produced by the breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water.

High levels of radon have been found in all 50 states.

Indoor radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. Radon causes an estimated 7,000 to 30,000 lung cancer deaths each year. A combination of smoking and high levels of radon in your house increases your risk.


Q:How Does Radon Get Into My Home?

A:Radon enters homes most commonly through: cracks in foundations;

openings around sump pumps and drains; construction joints; cracks in walls; crawl spaces; and in some cases from well water. 

Radon is usually most concentrated in the lowest level of the home.

Radon may also be present in well water and can be released into the air in your home when water is used for showering and other household uses. Radon entering homes through water may be a small risk compared to radon entering though the soil.


Q: Are scientists sure radon really is a problem?

A:Although some scientists dispute the precise number of deaths due to radon, all major health organizations (like the Centers for Disease Control, the American Lung Association and the American Medical Association) agree with estimates that radon causes thousands of preventable lung cancer deaths every year. This is especially true among smokers, since the risk to smokers is much greater than to non- smokers


Q: Does radon only affect certain kinds of homes?

A:House construction can affect radon levels. However, radon can be a problem in homes of all types: old homes, new homes, drafty homes, insulated homes, homes with basements, homes without basements. Local geology, construction materials, and how the home was built are among the factors that can affect radon levels in homes. 


Q: My neighbor just had a radon test done and their levels were low. This means that I likely will have low levels in my home too, right?

A: It’s not. Radon levels can vary greatly from home to home. The only way to know if your home has a radon problem is to test it. 


Q: Is it difficult to sell homes where radon problems have been discovered?

A:Where radon problems have been fixed, home sales have not been blocked or frustrated. The added protection is sometimes a good selling point. 

 

 Q: I’ve lived in my home for so long, it doesn’t make sense to take action now.

A: You will reduce your risk of lung cancer when you reduce radon levels, even if you’ve lived with a radon problem for a long time. 

 

Q: What is Radon?

A: Radon is a naturally occurring, radioactive gas that you can’t see, taste or smell. It is produced by the breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water.

High levels of radon have been found in all 50 states.

Indoor radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. Radon causes an estimated 7,000 to 30,000 lung cancer deaths each year. A combination of smoking and high levels of radon in your house increases your risk.