I’ve Become a Flasher

Okay, electrical is still not done…but we’re not going to talk about that right now;-)  It is moving along slowly but surely and we are continuing to finish up miscellaneous tasks that need to be done prior to siding being installed.  That would include my latest project — window flashing.  Our window installers did an okay job of installing flashing but I wish I would have been on site to see the entire process.  After watching the link below, I’m not completely sure they caulked the windows in addition to applying the flashing.  I also know for sure that it was “damp” the day they installed windows which is NOT a good idea when you are applying peel and stick.  They did a great job on 90% of the windows but the other 10% were just sloppy and rushed.

I got to hang out on the roof again and reflash windows where the peel and stick either wasn’t sticking adequately or where we had some windows that were moved and the house wrap had been damaged.  It was actually pretty fun and I know that my windows and home are better protected if water happens to get under the siding/trim.  Check out the link below on how to be the best flasher you can be…

Peel & Stick Window Flashing – HGTV Pro Best Practices

Side porch windows properly flashed with peel & stick window flashing

HINDSIGHT IS 20/20:  I have learned to add 2-4 weeks to everyone’s estimate as to when something will be done…at least.  Just when I think this thing is going to take off, we get stalled on the runway.  This home has been dreamed about and prayed for and I simply want to live there;-)

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