Environmental Testing We all view our home as our castle-a refuge from the worries of the world. We raise our children to know that home is a safe place where they can be free from harm surrounded by unconditional love and acceptance. Creating this mystical place takes thought and effort but also imposes an obligation on us all to make sure our homes are as safe as is reasonably possible. We make sure the windows and doors close and lock securely to keep intruders out. The street number is clearly and conspicuously posted on the outside so police, fire and ems personnel can locate us quickly. But sometimes the hazards are within the building and we have a similar obligation to take care of those that can be easily identified and controlled. This is the world of environmental testing. In our experience there are two basic classes of issues that fall under this umbrella. There are substances that are hazardous to everyone and then there are those that only bother an afflicted, usually allergic, few.
Radon gas, asbestos and lead based paint have to qualify as the "Big Three" environmental hazards in homes today. Asbestos and lead based paint tend to be confined to homes built before 1980 but radon gas has no respect for age and can affect any home regardless of it's age or architecture. We have a great deal more information on these topics available on our site so please look further and be informed.
Mold and other allergens are a much more difficult area. We were initially very reluctant to test for these because A. Every house has mold and allergens and B. There are no pre-defined levels to tell us what is acceptable and what is hazardous. A great deal of individual vulnerability is determined by the strength of your immune system and the other stressors in your life at any given moment. Mold indisputably makes people sick however and so we are trained/certified to do mold testing and are happy to do so. Again, please look further and take advantage of the information we've provided for you.
Water, well I guess we wonder about our water based on the news of the day. Municipal water is as good as the system in charge of monitoring its safety for us. Well water can be extremely variable and please remember never to give well water to a baby under the age of 12 months. We also have more information on these topics that we would like to share. So take a hard look and give us a call if you have further questions and we will answer them as well as we can.
