EASY, AFFORDABLE WAYS TO EMBRACE NATURE IN YOUR HOME
January is Radon Awareness Month, and it serves as a reminder that this invisible, odorless, and tasteless compound could be extremely dangerous if it leaks into your home. Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer deaths, and it claims the lives of 21,000 Americans each year. People can be exposed to radon via the air that comes through cracks and gaps in buildings, so testing radon levels in homes, schools, and other buildings can help prevent health risks and unnecessary exposure. It’s Radon Awareness Month! Everything You Need to Know About Radon
Thanks to the chaos we’ve experienced since 2020, many design experts are looking to create spaces that are calm, welcoming, and grounded. Enter one of the biggest design trends of the 2020s: neutral, natural elements. Here are some easy ways to bring nature inside and boost your home’s look without overspending. The obvious option is to add more houseplants. And plants don’t have to be difficult! Consider your home space, first. How much light do you get? Is it a dry or humid home? How likely is it that you will remember to water a plant? Bring these concerns to your local nursery, and they will help you find the perfect leafy friend(s) to fill your space. Then, opt for pieces that won’t decay. When choosing new decor for your home or when updating your knickknacks for the seasons, look for wooden or natural items that don’t have a life cycle. Fake plants, wooden statues and picture frames, and piles of stones or vases with rocks can bring the richness of the great outdoors into your home with little effort and can be reused each season. Now, look to your backyard! If you have a big pine tree that produces pine cones each year, don’t let those go to waste! Baskets or vases filled with pine cones can be great fall and winter decor pieces, while lots of clever crafters have made wreaths, scent diffusers, and other fun items with pine cones found in their yard. Just be mindful of what you take from nature. Don’t take anything of value to the ecosystem, and don’t grab items from state or national parks. Finally, utilize windows. Part of embracing natural design elements is letting nature do the talking! Focus your design in each room around windows. For instance, fix plant displays near windows or hang bird feeders in trees you can see through your windows. If you really want to get cozy with the outdoors, consider installing a skylight! To find more inspiration, take a walk and discover how Mother Nature has designed her space. Bring those ideas into your home and enjoy the comfort of the great outdoors within your own great indoors.
How do you prevent radon leaks? Testing your home is a quick, easy, and inexpensive way to prevent leaks. Radon kits can be found online or in home improvement stores. They are easy to install and just require placing a small measuring device and leaving it for the directed period of time. Be sure to follow the instructions on where to place the device and where to send it after the test to find out your radon level.
You can also hire qualified professionals to test for radon in your home by contacting your state radon program or by using the National Radon Proficiency Program (NRPP) or the National Radon Safety Board (NRSB). Additional actions to reduce high radon levels in your home include not smoking indoors, increasing airflow by opening windows and using fans, and sealing cracks in your floors and walls. How do you know if you have a leak? Even if you are breathing in a high level of radon, there are no obvious signs and no widely available medical tests to measure whether you have been exposed. Possible symptoms can include shortness of breath, hoarseness, wheezing, persistent cough, coughing up blood, chest pain, loss of appetite, weight loss, and fatigue. What do you do if you have been exposed? If you think you or a loved one has been exposed to radon, see your medical care provider about whether you should receive regular checkups or CT scans to test for possible signs of lung cancer.
Visit the EPA website for more information.
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