Goal For The Green

Radon is a large concern for homeowners. The decision to test a property for radon gas is quite common. If radon seepage causes the gas to enter through the basement or crawl space, it can endanger residents if the property is not well ventilated.

Radon comes from the element radium. It is created when radium decays. The process of making radon from radium is natural and continuous. Unfortunately, radon can rise through soil and enter the air. Breathing radon gas can endanger people. Learn more about the harmful potential effects of radon on human health.

Radon Gas and Lung Disease

Radon gas exposure can contribute to the development of cancer. Inhaling radon gas over a period of time is like smoking multiple cartons of cigarettes. Radon gas can cause damage to the lungs. Someone who has been exposed to radon may have bronchitis, lung infections, pneumonia, or wheezing. Since many diseases share these symptoms, it is important to rule out radon gas as a potential contributor.

The length of exposure to radon gas is a significant contributor to disease. The American Journal of Epidemiology (2000) reported that radon exposure at 4 pCi/L levels over 15 years placed people at high risk for the development of certain cancers. Residential radon exposure is a serious threat that can lead to lung cancer and lung disease.

Potential for Radon Gas

Some parts of the United States have a high incidence of radon. Radon is frequently found in drinking water at higher than acceptable levels in: New England (all states), Alabama (especially northern), Arizona (especially southern), California, Colorado (especially central), Florida (especially Tampa vicinity), Georgia (especially northern), Iowa, Idaho, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri (especially southern), North Carolina, North Dakota, New Jersey (especially northern), New Mexico, Nevada, New York (ex-New York City/Long Island), Oregon (especially Portland and Salem), Pennsylvania (especially eastern), South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas (especially Austin and Amarillo), Utah, Virginia, Washington (especially northeast), Wisconsin, West Virginia (especially eastern), and Wyoming (especially eastern).

Radon Testing

Radon testing is a relatively simple matter. A radon gas detector kit is used to measure the presence of radon for up to seven days. The kit is analyzed by a laboratory to inform the residents about the presence of radon gas.

Radon Mitigation

Getting rid of high radon levels is possible. Some radon experts use a process called radon mitigation to reduce high levels of radon in a residential or commercial location.

There are a multitude of ways you can save money on your energy costs. An invaluable yet useful tool is that of the power socket meter. These little gadgets plug directly onto a power socket and will record every kilowatt-hour that travels through it. When determining where you use up the most electricity in the home, these devices may be worth their weight in gold.

Programmable

Many power socket meters you can buy allow you to program your cost per kilowatt-hour into the unit. This will then give you an accurate reading on how much any device plugged into it is costing you to operate. You may be shocked when you see the results from computer systems and entertainment centers.

Real-Time Data

Power meters give you information in real-time. There is little guesswork when determining what appliances and electronics are costing you the most money to keep running. The LCD displays provide a tally of power that is being consumed every second. This can provide you with information about each device allowing you to build immediate strategies for reducing the usage of appliances.

Accurate

The level of accuracy may vary with different manufacturers. However, most of these units can give excellent results with a 0.2 percent variable. Information this precise can give you insight into how much power you’re actually using in your house at any given time of day.

Forecasting

More elaborate units are capable of forecasting electricity costs by averaging how much load is experienced on the line per day. When trying to reduce your monthly budget, information such as this can help you cut spending on power by reducing the dependence of items. For example, you may find that cutting just 30 minutes of TV time every day could make a profound impact on your annual spending.

Easy to Use

Most power meters are easy to use and can plug directly onto virtually any power socket. There is no need to rewire anything or have extensive knowledge of electricity. Although some units have features such as line frequencies and voltage regulation, the primary function of the meter is straight forward data.

Saving money on energy costs starts by having the most efficient provider. If you’re in an area supported by multiple vendors, it may be worth your time to gather additional information. Switching to a cost-effective provider in combination with using the data obtained by the power socket meter, you can potentially cut an incredible amount of money off of your monthly utility budget.

Pressure washing is a fast, safe and effective way to clean a wide variety of surfaces, especially the exteriors of buildings. The popularity of pressure washing has really taken off in recent years, with many companies now offering this service. However, the quality of these pressure washing companies tends to vary quite dramatically. Therefore, if you simply call the first pressure washing company you see listed in the phone book, you could be in for a rude awakening. If one of these companies is charging a price that is so low that you can’t believe it, there is probably a very good reason. Be cautious when you are vetting these companies. Here is how you can go about locating a company that does pressure washing.

1. Ask people in your neighborhood

There is a strong likelihood that you have seen at least one of your neighbors having his or her house pressure washed in the past. If this is the case, talk to the person and inquire which company they used. How many times have they hired this company? Did they do a professional job? Was there a large mess when the company left? Did the company leave things just the way they found them? How much did the company charge? The more people in your neighborhood that you can find who have hired pressure washing companies in the past, the better it will be for you.

2. Visit some sites of companies that do pressure washing

You would be smart to take a peek at the various websites that are out there for pressure washing companies. You should do this even if you get a lot of references from the people in your neighborhood. You can never have too many company names to fall back on if some do not pan out. While you are browsing these sites, try to find some that use eco-friendly solvents, like the ones used by Renew Crew.

3. Online reviews

A third option to help you track down a company to do your pressure washing is to read online reviews. There are now reviews for many different companies posted on sites that are designed to allow previous customers a place to sound off about their experience. Go to these sites and see if any of the companies that perform pressure washing in your area have been reviewed. Read as many of these reviews as you have time for.