Radon 101

For those building a LEED house in New England, radon abatement is a must. Back when we first poured the foundation, before we put gravel in we put a perforated pipe (perforations pointing down, please) along the perimeter of the foundation. On the west side, this pipe pops up so we can join it to an exit pipe which can then go up and out.

This week, the floor is being poured with concrete. So we just completed step two: covering the entire floor with heavy plastic (which is reused from our house panels) a couple of layers thick to be an air barrier between the gravel (with radon pipe underneath) and the cellar floor above it. In this way, if there is radon it will be forced into the pipe and up and out of the house without seeping into the cellar.

Radon and drainage

The first photo shows the radon abatement system which is installed for future use if needed. As we are in the area most subject to radon, and we don't know if it will be an issue in the future, a radon "escape" pipe has been laid around the perimeter of the foundation with a gooseneck which you can barely see on the far wall. If in the future we find we have an issue with radon, we can then tap this pipe head and clear it from the building with an exit fan.

The second photo shows the perimeter drain we installed yesterday. In the event of excess groundwater, it is much easier and less expensive to already have a drain system than to install it later. We have two exits for this drain, but will likely choose only one for the gravity feed.