[Greenbuilding] basement help

[BirdWalk]

Thank you - this is the kind of hands on info I am looking for.  

 


-----Original Message-----


When I built my house we put in a underground root cellar that is attached
to the house.  For the ceiling of the structure we used tin pan (very heavy
gauge corrugated steel, about 1/16") and above this is 5/8" rebar at 12"
spacing and a 5" concrete slab.  For ventilation I drilled 2 4" holes
through which I put 4" abs pipe. One pipe opens at the ceiling and the other
goes to the floor.  Above ground I put a 90 degree elbow and a street elbow
together to create a drain cap.  The pipes were joined to the concrete using
hydraulic cement.  The top of the cement is covered with paint on rubber
membrane (Blue Seal).  This is probably all I would have needed if the
concrete contractor hadn't poured the slab so it sloped toward the house.
Due to this I have had to put sand on top of the slab, with the sand sloping
away from the house, on top of this I used a rubber pond liner and covered
that with about a foot of dirt.  Since putting in the pond liner I haven't
had any problems with leaking.  The root cellar stays cool in the summer and
stays above freezing in the winter.  Now to grow some vegetables to put in
it.

For the rest of the basement I used the Blue Seal and then 4" of Roxul
drainboard for insulation and drainage plane (works out to R17).  At the
footings I have a continuous drain pipe that opens to air down the slope in
front of the house.  We have been there 2 years now, with some torrential
downpours and haven't had a drop of moisture.

Ward Edwards
ward at buildgreen.ca