Test Your Basement for Radon Before Remodeling
If your basement remodeling plans include adding living space to your home’s lower level, it is imperative to test for, and if necessary, to mitigate for radon. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that has been found to cause lung cancer. The EPA estimates that 1 in 15 homes in the U.S. has elevated levels of radon.
Radon is most commonly found in your home’s basement, where it collects after seeping through the small cracks and seams in your foundation and floor slab.
How Do You Test for Radon?
Testing for radon is simple, and Do-It-Yourself kits are inexpensive and widely available at home improvement stores. Testing kits measure radon in Pico curies per liter of air, or pCi/L, and the EPA estimates that the average indoor radon level is 1.3 pCi/L. Although it is thought that no level of radon in your home is completely safe, it is worth noting that 0.4 pCi/L of radon is normally found in the outside air.
If your first test indicates that your home’s level of radon is 4 pCi/L or greater, you should call a radon mitigation specialist. By using more accurate testing equipment, these specialized remodeling contractors can confirm your home’s radon level and recommend mitigation systems that can help solve the problem. Fixes can include sealing the cracks in your concrete floor with silicone caulk or installing a fan-driven venting system under your basement slab.
Sub-slab Venting Systems for Radon Mitigation
If a sub-slab venting system is the recommended solution, you will be glad that you tested for radon before the new basement flooring was installed. Cutting a trench in a basement floor is messy, difficult work, but it is the only way to place the needed vent pipe under the existing slab. The easiest conditions to mitigate are those prior to pouring a cement slab in your basement, but most often this situation is only available during new construction.
Because installing an active venting system requires digging up your basement floor and drilling through your home’s roof, it is recommended that you consult several remodeling contractors before beginning a project of this scope. Fortunately, a well-installed mitigation system can reduce the radon in your home to a worry-free and acceptable level.
Radon in your basement is a serious problem, but it can be dealt with successfully. Testing for radon in your basement is the first step on the path to a radon-free home.
Soundproofing a Basement Helps Create Comfortable Rooms
March 1st, 2010 by admin
If you are adding new living space to your house by finishing a basement, you should consider soundproofing the new rooms to ensure that unwanted noise doesn’t echo throughout your home. Whether you are adding an extra bedroom, a home gym, or even a state-of-the-art home theater in your basement, soundproofing the walls and ceiling is a simple and effective way to create comfortable and quiet rooms.
Most unwanted sounds coming from your basement are transferred through the basement ceiling, making it an important place to soundproof. One way to stop the noise from traveling between the lower and main levels of your house is to install sound-insulating batts between the wood joists, which can be done if the basement ceiling is exposed. Sound-insulating batts are made from materials like fiberglass and recycled cotton, and are similar to those used to insulate walls. To keep sound from also traveling through the joists themselves, you can stick a layer of foam tape to the underside of the joists before attaching the finished ceiling. This technique will minimize the noise transference between the above room and the basement below.
If your basement renovation is already underway and the overhead joist space is inaccessible, then it may not be possible to insulate the ceiling cavity. In this instance, you can reduce unwanted noise transference by covering the existing ceiling with a layer of sound-dampening drywall. This specialized drywall is installed and finished just like traditional drywall, but it offers a better acoustical barrier.
For rooms that require serious sound insulation, like a recording studio or shop, you can use spray-in foam insulation or sound-deadening panels that are attached to the walls and ceiling with metal channeling. Both of these specialized products are effective at reducing unwanted noise, but they can be expensive, and they most often need to be installed by a professional contractor.
Steps to Soundproofing a Basement
When soundproofing a basement, no matter how many rooms it may be, you should consider the following steps:
- Wrap all pipes and vents with sound dampening insulation
- Use solid core interior doors
- Don’t use hard flooring materials like tile or wood; consider installing carpet with a heavy weight pad instead
- Isolate any noisy HVAC equipment in a sound-insulated room
Soundproofing and finishing a basement may require professional expertise and specialized tools, so consult a local contractor if you need help getting started.
About the author: Marshall McCauley is a builder and freelance writer. He writes from his farm on the Bitterroot River in Montana.
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Soundproofing a Basement Helps Create Comfortable Rooms