Missoula Montana Speciality Inspections, Radon, Water Test, Elder and Diabled Safety, Deck Inspection

Radon In Your Montana Home
RADON IN MONTANA

What is Radon?
Radon (Rn) is a naturally occurring radioactive gas produced by the breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water. Because the air pressure inside a home is often lower than the pressure in the soil underneath and surrounding a home’s foundation, a home acts as a vacuum and draws the gas through foundation cracks and other openings. Radon levels are often represented as picocuries per liter of air or pCi/L. The average indoor air radon level is 1.3 pCi/L of air. The average outdoor ambient level is 0.4 pCi/L. Radon is odorless and colorless. On a U.S. map, Montana is listed as a Zone 1 region for radon. Zone 1 regions are those with the highest natural occurrence of radon where the predicted average indoor levels are greater than 4 pCi/L.
What are health risks of radon exposure?
Because of Montana's geology, many homes in the state and Missoula County have high levels of radon gas.
Missoula levels are high. For example, nationwide 7% of buildings contain elevated levels of radon. In Missoula, 54% of homes have high levels (see pie chart). This is over 7x the national average.
When the Health Department looked at test results throughout the County, no pattern was observed. Homes in the valley, in the foothills, and it all reaches of the county had high levels*.
Radon is a naturally occurring colorless, odorless, radioactive gas produced by the breakdown of uranium in soil and rock.
  • In the U.S. the average indoor radon level is 1.3 pCi/L. In Missoula County, the average is 7.2 pCi/L. This is more than 5x the national average. Results vary from 4.5 in 59801 to 9 in 59825  (See the bar chart)
     This is like receiving approximately 350 chest x-rays in a year or smoking 14 cigarettes a day.
MISSOULA RADON BY ZIPECODE







LEARN MORE ABOUT RADON IN THE
MISSOULA AREA CLICK  HERE

WE DONOT DO RADON TESTS - 
You can run your own short term test if you wish:
Test kits can be purchased at the Environmental Health Department located on the 2nd floor of the City-County Health Department building, 301 W Alder, Missoula Mt 59801.
( for  $7.00 )or @ hardware stores, or online @ http://.www.radonkit.org
Or You Can Have a Professional Certified Test
Run by Our Friends at :
Murphy Contracting
Provides radon testing and mitigation for Missoula
and all surrounding areas.
Certi Certified and a member of NRPP
and AARST. Fully licensed and insured.
murphycontractingllc@gmail.com
Tel: 406.531.3860
Tel:  406.531.1717
https://www.mtradon.com/
Or
Radon Solutions
406-836-0786
http://www.radon-mt.com/index.html
RadonSolutions@cox.net
The EPA recommends:

  • If you are buying a home or selling your home, have it tested for radon.
  • For a new home, ask if radon-resistant construction features were used and if the home has been tested.
  • Fix the home if the radon level is 4 picoCuries per liter (pCi/L) or higher.
  • Radon levels less than 4 pCi/L still pose a risk, and in many cases, may be reduced.
  • If you do your own short term test take steps to prevent device interference when conducting a radon test. If you are having a test done for you follow all instructions given to to prevent device interference.
  • YOU CAN DOWNLOAD BOTH THE EPA RADON GUIDE & RADON TESTING CHECKLIST HERE


TO DOWN LOAD & PRINT RADON INFO CLICK HERE

Special Inspections In Greater Missoula MT. Area

Senior Safety Aging-in-Place Inspections
Home Safety Inspections for Older or Disabled Consumers
 The CPSC believes that many of injuries to elderly persons in their homes result from hazards that are easy to overlook, but also easy to fix. By spotting these hazards and taking some simple steps to correct them, many injuries might be prevented. An inspection can help spot possible safety problems which may be present in your home. Use Our Contact Form to Inquire About an Elder Safety Inspection or call us 406-646-6182

"Aging in place" is the phenomenon describing senior citizens' ability to live independently in their homes for as long as possible. Those who age in place will not have to move from their present residence in order to secure necessary support services in response to their changing needs.
Aging-in-Place Inspections 
Inspectors may recommend corrections and adaptations to the home to improve maneuverability, accessibility, and safety for elderly occupants.
 The Baby Boomers
As the baby boomers age, the 60+ population will spike from roughly 45 million in recent years to more than 70 million by 2020. Research shows that baby boomers’ expectations of how they will receive care differ from that of their parents’ generation.  Overwhelmingly, they will seek care in their own homes and will be less likely to move into congregate living settings.
Why do many senior citizens prefer to age in place?
Nursing homes, to many, represent a loss of freedom and a reduced quality of life. Here are a few good reasons why these fears are justified:
  • In 2007, inspectors received 37,150 complaints about conditions in nursing homes. Roughly one-fifth of the complaints verified by federal and state authorities involved the abuse or neglect of patients. Specific problems included infected bedsores, medication mix-ups, poor nutrition, and other forms of neglect.
  • The proportion of nursing homes cited for deficiencies ranged from 76% in Rhode Island to as high as 100% in Alaska, Idaho, Wyoming and Washington, D.C.
  • Many cases have been exposed in which nursing homes billed Medicare and Medicaid for services that were not provided.
  • A significant percentage of nursing homes had deficiencies that caused immediate jeopardy or actual harm to patients.
Each year, according to estimates by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), nearly 1 million people over age 65 are treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries associated with the products they live with and use everyday. The death rate from accidental injuries in the home is approximately three times greater for older people than for the younger population. Specifically, there are 60 deaths per 100,000 persons 65 and older, while there are 20 deaths per 100,000 persons under 65.
Slips and falls are the main cause of injury for older people in the home. The CPSC recommends the use of grab-bars and non-slip mats in the bathtub, handrails on both sides of the stairs, and slip-resistant carpets and rugs. Burns occur from hot tap water and from open flame. The CPSC recommends that consumers turn down the temperature of their water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit to help prevent scalds. The CPSC also recommends the installation and maintenance of at least one smoke detector on every floor of the home. Older consumers should consider purchasing nightwear that is flame-resistant and choose garments made of tightly woven fabrics, such as 100% polyester, 100% nylon or 100% wool.
Use Our Contact Form to Inquire About an Elder Safety Inspection or call us 406-646-6182
Deck Inspector

DECK INSPECTIONS:
More than 2 million decks are built and replaced each year in North America.  InterNACHI estimates that of the 45 million existing decks, only 40% are completely safe.
Because decks appear to be simple to build, many people do not realize that decks are, in fact, structures that need to be designed to adequately resist certain stresses. Like any other house or building, a deck must be designed to support the weight of people, snow loads, and objects.  A deck must be able to resist lateral and uplift loads that can act on the deck as a result of wind or seismic activity.  Deck stairs must be safe and handrails graspable.  And, finally, deck rails should be safe for children by having proper infill spacing.
A deck failure is any failure of a deck that could lead to injury, including rail failure, or total deck collapse. Use Our Contact Form to Inquire About a Deck Inspection or call us 406-646-6182



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Home Inspection Solutions, Locally Owned, Home Inspections, Home Buyer's Pre-Closing Inspections, Seller's Move In Certification Inspections, Yearly Maintenance Inspections.
InterNACHI is the world’s leading home inspector association and education provider, offering inspector-related Continuing Education online and video courses that have earned more than 1,200 governmental approvals and accreditations.  InterNACHI-Certified Professional Inspectors® follow a comprehensive Standards of Practice and a strict Code of Ethics to ensure that their clients receive the best and most professional service possible.
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InterNACHI Trained and Certified (The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors).
Serving the greater Missoula Montana area.
Bitterroot, Sapphire, Garnet, Rattlesnake & Mission Valleys,
Lolo,  French Town, Arlee, Ronan, St. Ignatius.
Bob Ruby, Dianne Keast
Copy Right 2014