Has anyone used this product ?
If so did you like it ?
http://certainteed.com/CertainTeed/Pro/Design+Professional/PipeFoundation/Prodindex/Foundations
Thanks
Guys over at FHB discuss it frequently. Gets good marks and is often suggested by them.
Don't have personal experience with it.
I haven't used it but it looks interesting.
Here's pricing and a supplier. I don't know them but it looks like they will ship anywhere.
http://www.korit.com/shop/formadrain.htm
Thanks you both very much for the information.
I had a guy tell me yesterday that the form-a-drain are more worth they're money for houses built in low lying areas. He said he does not think I need it with my grade dirt being hard rock type chert soil.???
Thanks
If you tend to have radon in your area, though, it might be useful
But drain to daylight alongside your foundation, plenty of uphill provision for drainage, and a paying attention to air changes per hour inside your house might work as well--and might be good ideas even if you did use formadraintm.
Thanks Amanda_931.
I have asked a few contractors and they say they have never heard of any radon problems in this area(middle TN.) Where does it usually occur ?
I also have about a 1' drop from the back to the front for good drainage.
Have they looked?
http://www.epa.gov/radon/zonemap/tennessee.htm
a) once you get down to the block level, I think it's very very spotty. (there was an article not too long ago in the Florence Alabama paper showing this--probably true all over)
b) The standard crawl-space (vented or sealed) way of building in the area may mean that it's not a problem. We don't put crawl-space doors in the kitchen floor! They're outside where they belong!
On the other hand some friends were forced to abandon a (potentially money-making) project because their concrete block had been made with material that caused geiger counters (and radon detectors) to go nuts. :(
What part of Middle Tennessee (for those not from here, it's an official term, one of the three stars on the state flag)?
I lived in the Nashville area for about 30 years, now down in the south-west corner.
We've got plenty of chert--I even have a dog named Cherty.
Thanks for the eye-opener Amanda_931.
Please read the first paragraph under "Radon Entry"
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/radon/pubs/builder.html
After reading the link on the above post and looking at the picture shown in this link
http://www.epa.gov/radon/construc.html
then I had what I thought might be a very good idea. Even if there was Radon gas present or not then it would still be a very good idea to have at least 4 exit (pvc) pipes exiting from the gravel fill from under the slab. These pipes would go from the gravel fill out through the footer and then straight up through the gravel backfill to just a few inches above the ground with a screened vent cap installed and just under the roof overhang. This would allow any gas or pressure of any kind to disperse. And after reading some other sites it would also help reduce any moisture accumulation forming under the slab (keeping it aired out and dryer).
I still plan on buying one of those test kits just so I know.
Any thoughts ?
A vented crawl-space may well give enough air movement to dissipate radon gas.
Not at all sure that testing can be done ahead of time--like by putting a radon detector under an upside-down 5-gallon bucket. So, yes, if you're concerned, then the right way to do things is to provide the ventilation ahead of time.
We really don't hear about it as much as we used to, so I've kind of been wondering if it was a scare instead of the the real thing.
Wish I knew because I'd really prefer a house close to ground level.
Most all the test kits I found are for an existing house. I found one site for pre-construction but the procedure is time consuming (several months). If radon is found at any given time after building a home then the solution is the vented pipes and it makes sense to install them now (much easier and cheaper) and install an exhaust fan later if need be.
Thanks
It's the real deal. Current EPA information:
http://www.epa.gov/radon/
You got that right Daddymem.
There seems to be a lot of information on google search for radon published by the EPA.
I'm glad I'll be installing the pipes now in case I should need them later.
Thanks
TTT for Ohio-cabin