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14 Lynn Street

Nashua, NH 03060

NH Home Show 2011 

This is a link to the NH Home Show March 2011  ---- click on ---- Black Dog Inspections, LLC

We will be there next year same location.

Manchester, NH

at the NH Home Show

with the Radon Tee.

Once again promoting

radon awareness.

A winner was selected from the drawing held 7/22/09.

The qualified winner of the free basic ASD System as outlined in the entrance rules is David Miller of Brookline, NH

News Release           Feb 1^st 2009

Black Dog Inspections, LLC (a complete radon service company) has reached its 5^th anniversary and would like to thank all of its customers over the years that have helped the company grow.    As a radon advocate, we encourage home radon testing by any source (self or professional).  At this company milestone and to show our appreciation we would like to offer one free basic radon in air mitigation system to a qualified candidate.  This contest will be accomplished by a drawing from qualified geographic entries based on rules located on our website (www.blackdogin.com).   Please note, there are restrictions based on income, home ownership, as well as other criteria.   At this time, we will be limited to one system winner chosen from a group of specific cities and towns in New Hampshire (Nashua, Hudson, Pelham, Windham, Londonderry, Litchfield, Merrimack, Amherst, Milford, Brookline, Hollis) and Massachusetts (Tyngsboro and Falmouth).   

We know that in this time of economic uncertainty and hard financial choices by families many may put aside risk to high radon levels to focus on more immediate concerns.  We hope this effort will make the difference with one family and reduce the long term threat that could silently cause harm over long exposure durations.  As a side benefit, it may increase radon home testing awareness to those who have never done it giving them the data to understand where they stand and if they have a problem or not.  Home testing is relatively inexpensive and self testing kits can be obtained locally or through the internet and range anywhere from free to less than $40 dollars depending on the source.   For professional tests, please visit your respective State radon office for a list of certified radon measurement providers.

Eino Anttila

Manager

Black Dog Inspections, LLC

Black Dog Inspections, LLC is now offering the Safety Siren PRO Series 3 Radon Gas Detector to the public for $129.95 (shipping included to Cont US).  If you have been a past Black Dog Inspections' customer or are planning on having a Black Dog Inspections radon mitigation system installed, ask for your discount on this product.  The discount only applies to past and present customers.  We have used this product for over a year on site and continually checked it against other passive devices and electronic (CRM) devices during the year and found it to track reasonably close.  We would not offer this product unless we believed it would provide a reasonable benefit to our customers.   Please use the "contact us" page for information on how to get your own detector.

As a certified radon measurement provider, I can provide professional measurements or a specific placement plan to determine what your homes internal radon levels are.  I can also provide real time Geiger Counter type measurements to locate problem areas with a non certified device if you feel a deep concern about the potential problem.  The bottom line is there is not a large scale problem with granite and radon but it is possible to have a granite countertop with higher that expected emissions. 

There are two problems to consider when dealing with granite countertops.  First there is no protocol to determine what level of radon is acceptable and exact method of measuring it.  Second measuring levels of radon in bathrooms or kitchens is not considered a preferred location in the measurement protocol due to potentially high levels of moisture and venting which may yield invalid results.

The EPA recommends that all homes be tested for radon in indoor air.  Additional testing in homes with granite countertops could indicate if excessive levels of radon are present using a reasonable test approach.

Recommendations for using do-it-yourself radon testing:

Radon test kits can be purchased at hardware stores and online.  Make sure they are fresh and use the same type for all your measurements.  Purchase 3 to 4 test devices for this process.  Black Dog Inspections can supply fresh professional quality test kits if you have difficulty in obtaining test devices. 

1                  Place one test in the basement or lowest area in the home to determine if radon is coming from the ground under your slab.  (If a test was performed in the past, the measurements can be compared)

2                  Place another test in a bedroom or family room at the same floor level as the kitchen or the room with granite countertops to establish a background radon level. 

3                  Place one or two tests in the room with granite countertops - put one on the granite surface and if necessary a second one the farther away on the counter for larger counter surfaces.

For the best results you should avoid using the room with the granite countertops (cooking, venting, and water use) since this may cause false readings during the test time.

Look at the results.  The lower level test is usually 2 times the floor above.  If there is a great difference between the counter top room and the non countertop room on the same floor level, the counters may be the contributors as long as the radon in water level has been determined not to be a contributor.  If you are on public water or not on a deep well, radon in water should not be factor.    

Remember passive test devices test for radon, not other radiation.  If there is a large difference between the kitchen floor measurements, professional assistance may be your next step.  If the test measurements are similar and much less than the lower level measurements, your counters are not a problem.

Names of qualified professionals who conduct radon and radiation testing can be located at www.aarst.org.