Site Work and Foundations - Page 12 of 37

All hands on deck and a cool, cloudy day make for a successful foundation pour.

Insulated concrete forms provide high R-value and are easy to set up, with a few custom details to avoid blow-outs.

Radon is a serious and under-appreciated issue. It’s the second leading cause of lung cancer, after tobacco smoking. As an odorless and colorless gas, there is no way to know…

In a high-performance house, Joe Lstiburek of Building Science Corporation recommends insulating basements north of the Mason-Dixon Line with R-10 subslab insulation and R-20 foundation insulation.

The earth inside the footings got a final grading, compacting and layer of crushed stone.

Applying a waterproof coating to the top of the footing blocks groundwater from wicking into the foundation walls, thereby keeping the basement drier.

In this foundation build, a sub-slab perforated pipe and layer of crushed stone will help drain away groundwater and provide an exit pathway for radon gas.

Finally some actual construciton taking place

A radon riser pipe and sleeve for the sub-slab drain must be placed before concrete is poured in the footing forms.

In this episode, host and managing editor Justin Fink talks with editor-in-chief Rob Yagid and design editor Brian Pontolilo about paint quality, tool rentals, and advanced framing. Resources and extras…