Why Should I Be Concerned About Radon?

Cleaning the t-shaped pipe that will be embedded in the gravel below the basement slab

Okay, this is one of those topics I was clueless on…but as I’ve learned more, it makes a lot of sense.

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas produced by the breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water.  Because the air pressure inside your home is usually lower than the pressure in the soil around your home’s foundation, your home acts like a vacuum, drawing radon in through foundation cracks and other openings.  While there are other ways radon can enter the home, radon gas in soils is the main source of elevated radon levels in U.S. homes.  The reason you should be concerned is that radon is a cancer-causing, radioactive gas.  Next to smoking, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States.

Prepping the pipe that will stick out of the slab and be capped until we run it up through the roof

My home state of Illinois has a very informative brochure on radon that I just had to link to simply because it was issued under Governor Rod Blagojevich…thanks Blago!

Passive Radon Reduction Systems in New Residential Construction – State of Illinois

There is no way to predict whether your home will be infiltrated by radon or not which is why we chose to install a passive radon reduction system in our new home.  We are talking cheap and easy – 20 minutes for labor and installation and ~$35 in materials.  It’s passive because it is a low pressure escape route from the gravel below our foundation (what we installed prior to the basement floor being poured) up through the roof (to be installed later).  If at some point we want to make the system more aggressive, we can install a fan to actively suck the radon up and out of the ground below the house.

Covering both ends of the t-shaped pipe with landscaping fabric to prevent clogging

The EPA has a bunch of resources available to educate the public on radon including a Consumer’s Guide to Radon Reduction and architectural drawings for passive radon control systems for new construction.

HINDSIGHT IS 20/20:  I would have Rusty take pictures of me once in awhile…it looks like all I do is take pictures and blog.  Just for the record, I broke a sweat this day shoveling rock to cover the rough plumbing;-)

The radon pipe (lower right corner) before we set it upright and buried the base

Culvert Schmulvert

Okay, as I’ve said before – I know very little about construction.  This has made for some comical conversations and interesting moments.  But I’m learning…and that’s fun.  I’ve been the main bid getter on this project so I’ve had to learn quickly.  When a technical question arises, I simply say, “You’ll have the talk to Rusty – I’m just the courier.”

Always wear gloves when spray painting

During early planning conversations, I knew I was in over my head.  One particularly savvy owner-builder we talked to told us we needed to start the process by getting our culvert bond (see my last post).  I acted like I knew exactly what she was talking about and simply asked, “Where do I go get that?”  I was too embarrassed to ask, “What the heck is a culvert?”  Ask me where the extensor carpi radialis brevis tendon is and I’ve got you covered but a culvert – not happening.

According to the EPA, a culvert is “a closed conduit used to convey water from one area to another, usually from one side of a road to the other side.”  In other words, a culvert is that big corrugated metal pipe that runs under roads, driveways, etc.  It’s important because it allows for water runoff to flow readily while preserving the road bed, ditch, and/or river bank.

Asset Protection - Driver Beware

Standard culvert width (i.e. width of your driveway) is 20 feet.  We opted for a 30-foot culvert on the recommendation of our excavator.  Since yours truly is a horrible backer-upper, this makes a lot of sense;-)

HINDSIGHT IS 20/20:  This is a recommendation from our excavator which we thought was worth trying.  Even though we will most likely be putting in two culverts, he suggested we only put in one until we are closer to finishing construction.  He said that culverts just scream, “Run me over!!!”  He suggested getting a board and putting 20-penny nails in it and putting it over the end of the culverts.  We decided 60-penny nails would be more appropriate (and visible).  This may not be the “nicest” way to protect your culvert BUT he said it works.  We’re calling it asset protection.  You may want to wear gloves when spray painting;-)