Slab on grade / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

...onal masonry and concrete supply houses in cities like Ottawa and Toronto. In brief Self-healing concrete is a transformative technology that allows foundations to autonomously repair cracks, preventing water ingress and radon gas migration. While bacterial-based bio-concrete is the upcoming frontier for residential ...

...slab on grade home foundation?  A slab on grade is a very cost-effective, durable and low-impact foundation for a home. You get to live above grade, your home won't flood, and concrete slab floors pair perfectly with radiant under floor heating. So what is the best type of under floor heating, and what is the best way ...

...slab on grade and a crawl space? A slab on grade, or ‘frost protected shallow foundation’ is exactly that, a slab of concrete on the ground. There’s more to it of course, but let’s start with a ‘win’ in the comprehension department shall we?  A slab on grade rests directly on the ground, and a crawl space on the other...

...on construction on problem soils like expansive clay or peat. Chosen slab-on-grade form kit brand : Legalett frost-protected shallow foundation forms - with solar heated radiant floor - see this one go together here: This is the solar heated floor slab-on-grade foundation form kit being assembled for this LEED & P...

...on the slab in spring time. Below is a short video of the solar heated frost protected shallow foundation floor slab construction, for more on the (close to) zero carbon prefab home that is seated on this frost protected shallow foundation, see here!   Now you know more about smart basement design and construction ...

...on the ventilation, keeping us cool without air conditioning. Last winter, we used one electric baseboard heater on cloudy days and otherwise relied on the low-angled winter sun to add heat to a house that barely lets it escape. On the first brutally cold and sunny day after we moved in, I sat beside our south-facing w...

...only hydronic, meaning heated liquid is pumped through tubing in the concrete which then radiates that heat into the house. View the slab on grade foam forms installation video here.   Hydronic radiant tubing for a slab-on-grade floor © Ecohome You can see a Video Guide on How to Install Hydronic Radian...

...ong one. For those who live without air conditioning and count on opening windows at night to cool a house, it will take longer to release heat if it is stored in tons of dense material. So when the heat wave breaks, it will take a bit longer before your house cools again.  The advantages of thermal mass in homes: A lo...

...slab-on-grade floor on a site with a high water table. Drain placement for slab on grade with high water table. Image © Yanni Milon Drain placing with gravel and geotextile under a slab on grade foundation. Image © Yanni Milon Placing gravel for draining slab on grade with high water table. Image © Yanni Milon Ho...

...oncrete and the ground below it, which increases the rate of heat loss. Contrary to common beliefs, heat does not rise. Warm air rises, but heat goes everywhere. You need only pick up a hot coffee in a ceramic mug to answer this question for yourself. Does all the heat come out the top? Is it cold on the bottom? Absolu...

...on these pages:  Installing electric floor heating systems Build your own DIY solar air heater for free heat Heat pump water heaters save energy and money All about underfloor heating - hydronic, electric wire or air tubes Non-toxic silicate sealer for polished concrete slab floors Learn more about the bene...