Tempo:
SUSTAINABLE HOUSING INSIGHT Healthy Indoor Environment
Basements are places where radon and other soil gases can enter. It is therefore essential that basement floors and slabs and any penetrations such as sump pits and floor drains be airtight. Builders are now required to provide a stub for a sub-floor radon collection system that can be connected and vented outside should radon or soil gases prove to be a problem. Damp basements can be conducive to mold. Dry basements provide a healthier environment for people and better conditions for storage. Provide foundation dampproofing, perimeter drainage and insulation on the foundation wall to reduce or eliminate condensation on interior surfaces. A capillary break between the footings and the walls is recommended.
Consider shallow basements in properties with high water tables to reduce the risk of water entering the foundation. Shallow basements can have large windows for better natural illumination and ventilation and to enhance safety for those having to exit below-grade living spaces.
Energy Efficiency
The NBC requires that basement walls and some basement floors be insulated to a level determined by the number of heating degree days where a house is built.
Resource Efficiency
Consider using fabric forms for concrete footings. Re-use formwork boards for rough framing and blocking.
RELATED PUBLICATIONS CAN/CSA Standard O80 Series-08: Wood Preservation, Canadian Standards Association CAN/CAS Standard S406-92 (R2008): Construction of Preserved Wood Foundations, Canadian Standards Association CSA Standard O322-02 (R2007): Procedure for Certification of Pressure-Treated Wood Materials for Use in Preserved Wood Foundations, Canadian Standards Association Permanent Wood Foundations, Canadian Wood Council (product No. PWPD-06-E)
Basements are places where radon and other soil gases can enter. It is therefore essential that basement floors and slabs and any penetrations such as sump pits and floor drains be airtight. Builders are now required to provide a stub for a sub-floor radon collection system that can be connected and vented outside should radon or soil gases prove to be a problem. Damp basements can be conducive to mold. Dry basements provide a healthier environment for people and better conditions for storage. Provide foundation dampproofing, perimeter drainage and insulation on the foundation wall to reduce or eliminate condensation on interior surfaces. A capillary break between the footings and the walls is recommended.
Consider shallow basements in properties with high water tables to reduce the risk of water entering the foundation. Shallow basements can have large windows for better natural illumination and ventilation and to enhance safety for those having to exit below-grade living spaces.
Energy Efficiency
The NBC requires that basement walls and some basement floors be insulated to a level determined by the number of heating degree days where a house is built.
Resource Efficiency
Consider using fabric forms for concrete footings. Re-use formwork boards for rough framing and blocking.
RELATED PUBLICATIONS CAN/CSA Standard O80 Series-08: Wood Preservation, Canadian Standards Association CAN/CAS Standard S406-92 (R2008): Construction of Preserved Wood Foundations, Canadian Standards Association CSA Standard O322-02 (R2007): Procedure for Certification of Pressure-Treated Wood Materials for Use in Preserved Wood Foundations, Canadian Standards Association Permanent Wood Foundations, Canadian Wood Council (product No. PWPD-06-E)
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