Hammering Home the Message About Radon

Radon gas. It's colorless, it's odorless, and it's a really big deal. Pretty much every home has radon in it to some degree, but some have higher levels than others. Worst yet, it can cause illness and even cancer. What is radon and where does it come from? Radon gas is a natural radio active gas (take a peek at the periodic table of elements if you get the change) that is off-gassed as uranium breaks down from inside the earth. The gas seeps up from the ground and inside homes and the only way to know if your house has toxic levels of radon in it is to test for it. The month of November is official lung month across Canada, and Mike Holmes has teamed up with several lung and health agencies in Canada to promote radon gas awareness and encourage homeowners to get their homes tested.


From the Canadian Lung Association Website:

Mike Holmes Hammers Home the Message on Radon. November is Lung Month: protect your lungs, get your home tested

October 31st, 2014

Toronto, ON – “Get your home tested for radon . . . it could save your life.”

That’s the no-nonsense message from Canada’s most trusted contractor, Mike Holmes, in a new media campaign warning Canadians about the dangers of household radon contamination.

The star of the HGTV series Holmes Makes It Right has teamed up with The Lung Association, Health Canada and the Canadian Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists to produce television and radio public service announcements that will be broadcast nationwide starting in November during national Lung Month.

Exposure to colourless, odourless radon gas is the leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. Radon is a radioactive gas that comes from the breakdown of uranium in the ground. It can seep into homes, workplaces and other buildings through cracks in the walls or foundation. Virtually every house in Canada contains some radon.

“The only way to know if your home has a radon problem is to test for it,” says Mike Holmes, whose home inspection company, Mike Holmes Inspections, conducts radon testing. “One house can have radon levels next to zero while the house next door can be off the charts.”

If the radon level in your house is high it is not hard to fix. “A certified radon mitigation technician can reduce radon levels in most homes by more than 80 per cent for about the same cost as other common home repairs, such as replacing the furnace or air conditioner,” says Connie Choy, air quality coordinator with the Ontario Lung Association. “A radon mitigation professional who has been certified under the Canadian National Radon Proficiency Program (C-NRPP) can help you find the best way to reduce the radon level in your home.”

To order a radon test kit or to find a C-NRPP certified contractor in your region, go to www.TakeActionOnRadon.ca.

For more information about how radon affects your lung health, visit lung.ca/radon or, call us toll-free at 1 888-566-5864. In Quebec, call 1 888-POUMON-9. In British Columbia, call 1 800-665-LUNG (5864).

To view the video, visit our Youtube channel at: http://ow.ly/DArJt

About The Lung Association
Established in 1900, The Lung Association is one of Canada’s oldest and most respected health charities, and the leading national organization for science-based information, research, education, support programs and advocacy on lung heath issues.

Media contact:

John Chenery
Provincial Manager, Communications
Ontario Lung Association
416-864-9911 ext. 292
jchenery@on.lung.ca

Photo: Canada’s most trusted contractor, Mike Holmes, confers with Niagara Falls homeowners Michael and Jana Katz after a routine radon test found serious radon contamination in their home. Radon, a radioactive gas, is the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths in Canada.

Page Last Updated: 31/10/2014