Air quality testing?

[el-cubano-15.livejournal.com]

Hi,

Does anyone know anything about air quality testing?  We sleep in our basement and my wife is concerned about the air quality down there so we're trying to find out how to go about getting the air tested.

Thanks!

Comments

[mperrotti76.livejournal.com]

Actually, yes... I do environmental assessment/engineeering.
What seems to be the concern?

[el-cubano-15.livejournal.com]

There really isn't a specific concern. Just wondering if there are any issues we should be worried about because our bedroom is in the basement right next to the boiler room. Thanks for any input.

[mperrotti76.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't know? Any strange odors? Illness? Headaches? Respiratory aches or illness?

What kind of boiler is it? Oil fired? Natural gas fired? Electric?

In the room next to a boiler, is on different than being in the room next to the boiler in your house as a kid. So, I wouldn't be too concerned if there are no unusual circumstances.

[el-cubano-15.livejournal.com]

No symptoms to speak of.

It's a gas fired boiler.

I'm sorry. I'm not sure I understand your last paragraph. Are you saying it's safe to have a child next to the boiler room? My wife is also concerned because it is not only us, but our newborn in the basement with us.

Thoughts?

Thanks for your feedback!

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Did you like your home inspector? If so, you might want to ask them if they do air quality testing, and if not, they can certainly recommend someone.

If not, let me know and I'll get you some names.

[mperrotti76.livejournal.com]

I mean. Is the stove in the next room? A boiler isn't much different: the stove also constantly burns gas in the pilot, as does the water heater. I wouldn't be all that concerned if I were you, if there are no symptoms of adverse effects.

[mperrotti76.livejournal.com]

I'm just sayin, air testing is fairly costly, if there is no reason to suspect any harm from it. Also, when doing assessment, presence of a boiler/burner isn't a concern to health in our eyes. So I'd ay you're ok.

[el-cubano-15.livejournal.com]

My family has owned the house for almost 20 years, so we don't know a home inspector.

Some names would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[el-cubano-15.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your input. Much appreciated.

[cityofbeige.livejournal.com]

There isn't much air quality concerns with a gas furnace except for carbon monoxide when it malfunctions. If you are concerned about the furnace suddenly malfunctioning in the middle of the night, there are various carbon monoxide detectors available at an affordable price at just about any hardware store.

Other than that, the top two things that would cause health problems in basements is mold and radon. Mold is fairly easy to detect through "musty" smells, discoloration and a damp environment. You could run a dehumidifier if you're concerned about mold building up. If mold allergy does become an issue, about the only way to get rid of it is to gut and redo the basement. As for radon, tests typically run a few hundred bucks. It is now required that homes be inspected for radon before they're sold, but I don't think this was the case 20 years ago.

[rainbow-spork.livejournal.com]

When I bought my condo, my realtor and I ended up having to set up the radon test ourselves. We basically just put out these two little vials (http://www.accustarlabs.com/shop_homeownerLongDescription.php?Product_ID=2&page=1) and left them alone for two days, and then sealed them up and mailed them off to the lab. A day later the results were available on their website. It was dead easy. You could do it some weekend when you were going out of town. According the website, it's only $40 for the kit, which is about what I remember paying.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

As for radon, tests typically run a few hundred bucks. It is now required that homes be inspected for radon before they're sold, but I don't think this was the case 20 years ago.

A radon test (which is easily self-administered) costs less than $50 and is not required before a sale.

You may be getting it mixed up with lead, which costs a lot more to test for. That isn't required before a sale, either, but a buyer must be given a 10-day opportunity to test if they desire and everyone signs the Lead Paint Property Transfer Notification Certification. (This only applies to properties built before 1978, when lead paint was banned.)

[rainbow-spork.livejournal.com]

Oh, and it looks like they also have a cheaper, long-term test, that doesn't require you to keep the house closed up: [link (http://www.accustarlabs.com/shop_homeownerLongDescription.php?Product_ID=4&page=1)]

[mrf-arch.livejournal.com]

You should have a carbon monoxide alarm installed anyway, (ISTR is required in MA for any residential unit with a potential source of CO in it.) Radon tests are fairly cheap. You can call in an outside source to test for mold, but since mold's naturally occurring, you really wind up doing 2 or more full batteries of tests - one inside to establish the amount of mold spores in the air in the space, and a baseline set to see how much mold is floating around outside. There are also air tests for asbestos fibers, but if you suspect asbestos in the house, the thing to do is to test the suspect bits of insulation or whatever.

There are qualified testing firms that can provide these services - they are not, however, cheap.

[el-cubano-15.livejournal.com]

We have two fire detector / carbon monoxide alarms down there so we're in good shape there and we use a de-humidifier in the summer. We'll look into the radon testing.

Thanks a lot for the input.

[syntheticnature.livejournal.com]

Nothing about air quality but.... congratulations on the arrival of your newborn!

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

There are some states that require radon tests, but not Massachusetts.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

The one name that has come up again and again is Jeff May Home Inspections (http://www.jmhi.com).

Good luck!

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

True, many real estate regs are state-by-state (and cab vary quite dramatically) but I think for most people here, what matters are the regs here.

[jj96956.livejournal.com]

If you feel that the air quality could be better, there are many things you can do to improve it. I felt similar when I moved into my basement apartment. I decided on getting an air purifier (http://wize.com/air-purifiers/t6971-basement) and a dehumidifier. Now when i walk into my apartment it always feels good to be in there.

Good Luck!