What is "radon protection" (start certificate)

[Lane]

Don't know if this ends up in the right place, chose between building permit and building technology.

Anyway, we have received a building permit, but for the start protection they want documents about radon protection.
Neighbors didn't have this in their building permit;
when is this required and what is the reason for requiring this?
what is it?
Who produces it, is it the company that does the foundation?
We have a basement below, so we were thinking of building up with type lecablock that are filled and then casting a slab on top.

 

[roland53]

I have a vague memory of this when I built my current house. Does it possibly have to do with the need to seal any pipe penetrations in the slab so that radon gas cannot "stream" up into the house?

 

[Lane]

Aha, yes that sounds reasonable! Then maybe it has to do with us building a bathroom, which my friend did not. If so, it feels calm, I was a bit worried that we were in an area with high background radiation (I did call the municipality and checked when we moved in, but my confidence in the municipality is "so-so").

So then my hunch that it is the land contractor/foundation caster who does it is probably right.

I have a vague memory of this when I built my current house. Does it possibly have to do with sealing all potential pipe penetrations in the floor slab so that radon gas cannot "flow" up into the house?

 

[roland53]

(called the municipality to check when we moved in, but my trust in the municipality is "so-so").

Yes, if it is the municipality that demands it, it's their damn obligation to be able to inform what they want as well. Get it in writing.

 

[Viktor Cz.]

If you have normal radon ground, the building should be constructed as radon-protected.
If it's high radon ground, the building should be constructed with radon-safe implementation.
If it's low radon level, no special measures are required.

What the municipality likely wants to see is an assessment of the radon level in the ground (low, normal, high), as well as a report on how the building will be radon-protected or radon-safe.
Search online for radon-safe and radon-protected and you'll find many results.

 

[Lane]

Yes, that's the plan, but I don't want to call my case officer. Waiting until it has gained legal force... One step at a time is what's needed here

Yes, if it's the municipality that demands it, then it's their damn duty to be able to inform about what they also want. Get it in writing.

 

[Lane]

Of course, I googled radon protection, but it doesn't yield many clear results, just a bit about various ground fabrics, things to add to the slab, and so on. But no easy-to-find answers on what the municipality wants from us since we haven't even told them what type of foundation we're planning (also part of the starting certificate).

If you have normal radon ground, the building should be constructed with radon protection. If it's high radon ground, the building should be constructed with radon-secure construction. If it's low radon level, no special measures are required.

What the municipality likely wants to see is a survey of the radon level in the ground (low, normal, high) and an explanation of how the building will be radon-protected or radon-secure. Search online for radon secure and radon protection, and you'll get many results..

 

[roland53]

I don't quite understand what you mean. You write in the introduction that you've already moved in?

Then it can't really be about sealing in the slab? A bit late to think about that now

 

[Lane]

We are going to expand our house!

I can't quite understand what you mean. You write at the beginning that you have already moved in?

Then it can't be about sealing in the slab? A bit late to think about that now

 

[vastkustkillen]

Radon protection can be a bit of everything, first you might need to check how much radon you have in the ground, then you can decide if you need to lay pipes in the foundation and ventilate out the radon or if it's enough with rubber seals around the drain and sealing with gas-tight foam around all penetrations in the slab!

This might be what they mean!

 

[Lane]

Okay, thanks, sounds reasonable too. I'll have to call and ask them to specify before starting any measurements... It feels a bit silly all of this when you're expanding. No one cares about the existing 70s house without ventilation, direct electric heating, etc. But the extension needs a ventilation plan, energy calculation, and radon protection... But now I at least have an idea of what it could be.

Radon protection can be a bit of everything, first you probably need to check how much radon you have in the ground, then you base it on that whether you need to lay pipes in the foundation and ventilate the radon out, or if it's enough with rubber seals around the drain and sealing with gas-tight foam around all penetrations in the slab!

This might be what they mean!