basement

Investing in insulation is a good way to reduce energy consumption in the home. The homeowner must determine where adding insulation will be most cost effective. Attics are usually the place to start, followed by floors and walls. Since there is a wide variety of material on the market, thedo-it-yourselfer must choose carefully and install them with proper regard for ventilation and vapour barriers. Even if the work is performed by a contractor, the informed homeowner will benefit by his knowledge of materials and procedures.

Presents the major findings from two studies of moisture problems in crawl spaces. Three mechanisms play a role: transport by air via the floor, moisture migration through the floor and cold bridges. Special attention was paid tomoisture transport by air as it is an important cause of moisture problems. Some conclusions are drawn.

Radon-222 and 222Rn progeny concentrations, barometric pressure and pressure differentials between inside and outside were measured continuously in the basement of a recently constructed energy-efficient house in metropolitan Denver, Colorado

Modelling houses as two coupled chambers, namely, the living area and basement, predicts more accurately the total indoor radon source flux from building materials and geology than a one-chamber model in houses with disparate radon concentration

Describes a five month study which measured radon concentration, air exchange (ventilation) rate, weather and radon source parameters in a house near Chicago. Factors influencing radon entry rate were investigated. Discusses the measurements presented, noting some patterns in the data which are hard to explain. Applies two models for radon entry rate to high and low airborne alpha activity at the sump.

Contains articles on rain penetration and moisture damage in residential construction, moisture sources in houses, control of surface and concealed condensation, and ventilation of houses. Illustrates the various types of condensation problems that may occur, explains the active processes involved in some of these problems and discusses in detail the principal factors surrounding these phenomena i.e. sources of moisture, choice of construction detail, and current ventilation practice.

In this paper ventilation of attics and crawl-spaces is investigated theoretically. Ventilation rates and temperatures of the spaces are calculated by means of flow balance procedures. Flow characteristics of ventilators and openings for attics and crawl-spaces are far from well known, so a laboratory investigation on pressure drops across such devices was undertaken and reported in the paper. As convective flows from the heated part of a houseinto a colder, ventilated space can create moisture problems this situation has been investigated extensively.

Several physical phenomena which may contribute to moisture migration from the crawl space to the living spaces in houses are outlined. Results of two projects to monitor moisture migration are presented.