| How to Reduce Radon Posted: 10 Jan 2018 04:00 PM PST Radon is radioactive gas that naturally occurs in the atmosphere due to the breakdown of uranium. It is a leading cause of lung cancer, so it's important to contact your state radon office to obtain a test kit or find a professional to test the radon levels for you. While the best thing to do is to install a professional radon reduction system, you can take some preliminary steps by sealing cracks and openings in the building as well as increasing the ventilation. EditMaking Adjustments Yourself - Take radon-reduction training courses. Without the right equipment and techniques, you could actually increase the levels of radon in your home! If you decide not to use a certified contractor to reduce radon, it's essential that you contact your state radon office to find training courses in your area. Enroll in and attend these training classes to learn how to properly reduce radon levels.[1]
- For instance, you'll learn how to properly test for radon.
- You may also be taught how air pressure affects ventilation and how radon moves through water.
- Seal all cracks and openings in the building. Cracks and openings in the building can allow radon to flow into your home or office. All entry points (like for utilities), cracks, drains, and openings can be filled with urethane foam. Wall and floor joints can be sealed with polyurethane membrane sealants.[2]
- Supplies can be found at your local hardware store.
- Keep the windows open on the lowest level, weather permitting. Ventilation is key for reducing radon levels. Whenever possible, have several windows open on the lowest level of your home or office, which is closest to the soil and source of the radon. Even a small crack allows fresh air to flow in, lowering the concentration of radon in the air. You can opt to open windows on upper levels as well to allow air to flow throughout the entire space.[3]
- Install ceiling fans with positive ion generators. Fans get the air in your home or office circulating, while a positive ion generator charges the particles of radon. The particles are then attracted to the walls, floor, and ceiling, preventing them from being absorbed into your lungs.[4]
- Avoid using exhaust fans, which increase radon levels. Radon comes into your home or office because the air pressure is lower than it is outside, drawing radon in like a vacuum. Exhaust fans further decrease the air pressure, so using them actually increases the concentration of radon in the air. If you must use an exhaust fan, open several windows in the home or office as well.[5]
- Cover exposed earth with polyethylene plastic. If you have exposed earth in your basement, storage area, crawlspace, or another area of your home, you can significantly reduce radon levels by covering the soil. Use high-density polyethylene plastic to completely cover the exposed earth. Seal the seams as well as the edges to the foundation to keep radon from leaking into the air.[6]
- Remove radon from the water using granular activated carbon. Though radon levels in water aren't usually high enough to significantly impact the levels of radon in the air, you can take steps to reduce the radon in your water, if necessary. The best thing to do is run your water through a granular activated carbon unit to remove the radon. Be sure to replace the unit when necessary and dispose of old units as per the laws in your region.[7]
EditInstalling a Radon Reduction System - Hire a nationally-certified contractor. Contact your national radon office for a list of certified contractors that can safely make adjustments to your property to reduce radon exposure. Speak with several different contractors and ask them to provide you with a bid. Consider the contractor's level of experience as well as the price they quote you when deciding which person to hire.[8]
- Depending on the levels of radon and your home's construction, a reduction system can cost between $800 and $1,500.[9]
- Work together to choose an appropriate strategy. Some techniques work to reduce the amount of radon entering your home, while others focus on removing radon already in the air. Work with your contractor to choose the best techniques for the levels of radon in the space as well as your budget. Ask the contractor to prepare a contract that details the strategy you have chosen, then review and sign it before any work begins.[10]
- If the levels in your home or office are 4 pCi/L (picocuries per liter) or higher, you should take steps to reduce the radon.
- Unfortunately, there are no symptoms of radon exposure until it leads to lung cancer, so rely on the radon test results to determine if you need to take action.
- Walk through the system with the contractor to develop familiarity. After the contractor is finished making adjustments and installations, ask them to walk you through the system. Ask questions if you need clarification and write down any instructions or pertinent information the contractor provides.[11]
- Radon reduction equipment should be clearly labeled and must have a warning device that alerts you of malfunctions.
- Expect increased utility bills. Many strategies to reduce radon can impact your heating and cooling bills due to increased ventilation. Fans and other equipment may also raise your electric bill. Speak to the contractor about how much of an increase you can expect. Keep in mind that removing radon from your home can significantly lower your risk of lung cancer, so the extra cost is worthwhile.[12]
- Maintain the radon reduction system after installation. Periodically check on the equipment to ensure it is operating correctly. Contact your contractor if there are any issues or malfunctions. Also, fans need replaced about every 5 years, and filters, like for a heat recovery ventilator, may need changed as often as every 6 months.[13]
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| How to Cite a Website in Text in APA Posted: 10 Jan 2018 08:00 AM PST Doing in-text citations for a website in APA style for an academic paper or essay can be confusing, especially if you are not sure how much information you are required to include. There are different requirements for a website where you know the date the content was published and the name of the author, and for a website where you do not have this information. Creating a citation for a website, even if you don't know the author or you don't have the date, can be done in just a few short steps. EditCiting a Website with the Date and Author - Use parentheses at the end of the phrase you are citing. Always start the in-text citation with parentheses after the phrase you are quoting. The in-text citation should appear at the end of a sentence to adhere to APA style guidelines.[1]
- For example, you may write: "Mortality rates are increasing for infants in the United States (Healey, 2001)."
- Note the author's full last name. Look for the last name of the author of the website you are citing. The author's name may be listed on the top or bottom of the website or on the article you are citing on the website. List the author's full last name first in your in-text citation.[2]
- For example, you may write: "Mortality rates are increasing for infants in the United States (Johnson)" or "The abstract painting was sold to an anonymous buyer (Marshall)."
- Include the date the website content was published. Check the top or bottom header on the website for a publishing date or the date the website was recently updated. Some academic articles on websites will list the date published under the author's name. Put a comma between the author's name and the date in the citation.[3]
- For example, you may write: "Mortality rates are increasing for infants in the United States (Johnson, 2002)" or "The abstract painting was sold to an anonymous buyer (Marshall, 2017)."
- End with a period outside the parentheses. This will ensure the sentence ends properly and the in-text citation is complete.[4]
- For example, you may write: "Mortality rates are increasing for infants in the United States (Johnson, 2002)."
EditCiting a Website with No Author - Place parentheses at the end of the cited phrase. Start the citation in text by including parentheses at the end of the phrase you are citing. This will let your reader know you are citing the sentence or phrase. Make sure the in-text citation appears at the end of a sentence to adhere to APA style guidelines.[5]
- For example, you may write: "Schools can help to prevent bullying by providing counseling and safe spaces for students (Frank, 1999)."
- Include the title of the website. If there is no author listed for the website, use the title of the website instead. If you are citing an article on the website, use the title of the article.[6]
- For example, you may write, "The human brain is still much of a mystery to scientists (Neurology)" or "Schools can help to prevent bullying by providing counseling and safe spaces for students (Preventing bullying)."
- Note the date the website content was published. Look for the date at the top or bottom of the website. It may appear as a copyright date or the date the website was updated. In some cases, the date published will be listed under the title of the article. Put a comma between the title and the date.[7]
- For example, you may write, "The human brain is still much of a mystery to scientists (Neurology, 2016)" or "Schools can help to prevent bullying by providing counseling and safe spaces for students (Preventing bullying, 2015)."
- Put a period outside the parentheses. Wrap up the sentence with a period.[8]
- For example, you may write, "The human brain is still much of a mystery to scientists (Neurology, 2016)."
EditCiting a Website with No Date - Put parentheses at the end of the cited phrase. Start with parentheses right after the quoted phrase in the sentence. Check that the in-text citation appears at the end of a sentence to adhere to APA style guidelines.[9]
- For example, you may write, "Women's reproductive rights are under attack in the United States (Rona, 2008)."
- Include the title or author of the website. List the author's full last name, if available, or the title of the website you accessed. If you accessed an article on the website, use the title of the article.[10]
- For example, you may write, "Women's reproductive rights are under attack in the United States (Dionne)" or "The human brain is still much of a mystery to scientists (Neurology)."
- Use an abbreviation for "no date." The abbreviation "n.d." should be placed after the title or author of the website to let readers know you do not have a date for this reference. Put a comma between the title or author and "n.d."[11]
- For example, you may write, Women's reproductive rights are under attack in the United States (Dionne, n.d.)."
- Wrap up the citation with a period outside of the parentheses. The period will help to close the sentence.[12]
- For example, you may write, "Schools can help to prevent bullying by providing counseling and safe spaces for students (Preventing bullying, n.d.)."
- Once you have cited the website in-text, make sure you also include a complete citation for the reference in the reference list at the end of your essay or paper.
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| How to Open a Door with a Credit Card Posted: 10 Jan 2018 12:00 AM PST If you forgot your key again and wish you could get into your home without it, you may be able to use your credit card to do so. Just keep in mind that this technique only works on doors that have a simple knob lock with a spring-latch or a slanted-latch. To open your door, wiggle a card into the gap between the door and the door frame. If this doesn't work, resort to an alternative solution. EditDoing the Basic Technique - Slide the card into the vertical crack between the door and frame. Insert the card into the gap between the doorknob and door frame and then slide it down next to the doorknob. Push it in as far as it will go at a ninety degree angle to the door.[1]
- To see the location of the door frame more easily, push the door back as far as it can go with your other hand.
- Tilt the card towards the doorknob. Tilt the side of your credit card facing you towards the doorknob until it is almost touching it. You'll be able to push the credit card further into the gap between the door and door frame.[2]
- Bend the card back the opposite way. Bending the card back the other way will make the card slip under the angled end of the slant-latch, forcing it back into the door. Quickly open the door and unlock it on the other side.[3]
- Lean on the door and wiggle the card back and forth to open it. If your door didn't easily pop open, try leaning against the door while bending your card back and forth a few times. This will add more pressure to the latch and should open it.[4]
EditFinding Alternative Solutions - Check for unlocked windows. Walk around to all of the ground-level windows that your home has and try to open them. If you find that one is unlocked, pop the screen out and open the window as wide as you can. Then, climb through to get inside.[5]
- Climbing through a window can be dangerous. Only try this if you're confident in your ability to climb inside safely.
- If you have a back door or side door, check that too. You or someone who lives with you may have forgotten to lock it.
- Call your roommates. If you live with friends or a significant other, call or text them to see if they're nearby. If so, ask if one of them would mind stopping by the home to let you in. While this may require that you wait a few minutes on your front porch steps, it doesn't involve potentially damaging your property or paying expensive service fees.[6]
- Also, consider walking to a nearby coffee shop to pass the time if you live somewhere where this is possible.
- Call your landlord. This is a great option if your landlord lives onsite. Give them a call to see if they're home and ask nicely if they'd mind letting you in. Even if they don't live onsite, they may work nearby and be kind enough to swing by and help you out.[7]
- Hire a locksmith as a last resort. If you don't have any roommates and your landlord isn't available to help, it might be time to call a locksmith. Hire them to come to your home and change the locks so that you can get in. While this will effectively solve the problem, it may be pricey, so it's a good idea to only do it if you're out of options.[8]
- Keep in mind that your landlord may charge you for changing the locks and/or for damaging the door.
- Some doors require very little effort while others may be opened by simply pushing a card into the door frame at the same height as the handle without any tilting or bending.
- To avoid having to deal with this again, make a few copies of your key and keep a spare on you at all times and/or hide one near your home.
- Be prepared to show proof that you have the right to open the door, or else you could find yourself behind the sort of locked door that a credit card won't open!
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