1840 Root Cellar - Installing Ventilation for Temperature and Radon (part 1)
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- Опубликовано: 29 авг 2024
- Brenda can't use her beautiful root cellar because it's too warm and also has radon - - a naturally occurring radioactive gas. We are adding a ventilation system to address both problems. We are also hoping this will reduce the radon level in the larder.
Link to Radon Detector we used - www.amazon.com...
Link to CDC for more information - www.cdc.gov/ra...
This is quite something to get through a problem like that! I am sure there are lots of people that don’t even know they have the problem for the gaz!
You're right that probably a lot of people don't even know they have a problem. It's good to get levels checked just to be sure.
I would love just a basement, any old basement. We live in a flat, low area with the whole neighborhood on septic, not to mention all of the rock in our soil---so no under or in ground anything, not even a storm shelter. What a bummer! Glad to hear there is a solution for your problem. It would be a shame not to be able to use the larder and the root cellar. My son that lives in Nebraska has an older farm house (early 1900's) with a root cellar out in the yard. It's made of brick with a pretty arched ceiling. The ground temp gets down to about 50 to 52, depending on time of year. It needs repairs and a very good cleaning, but I think they should take the time and money to bring it back to it's former glory. God bless you'll and keep growing.
Thanks. I'm very thankful for the root cellar. Yes, I think all of the old root cellars should be 'brought back to their former glory' too.
We (most basements in Buffalo/Western NY) have radon in our basements… everyone has radon abatement pipes - good luck! Thanks for sharing… Beautiful root cellar
Thanks! Yes, many homes in our area have some level of radon. Luckily it can be mitigated.
@@waardenburgfamilyfarm4764 yes- thankfully it can be ✌️👍
If it is possible, I would cross ventilate. I would pull the hot air return closer to the ceiling. cold air would come from the floor. it would help cool it down by pulling the warm air from the top and replacing it with cool air from the floor. I love your cellar. great video.
Agreed, for purposes of ventilation for temperature the placement of a high return is best. However, we also have the need to vent radon which settles at the floor level. Tough call. Thanks for the input. I will experiment with both setups and test results.
Wow! What a challenge! Can’t wait to see the progress.
We're anxious to see the progress too....hoping it all works out the way we think it will.
Wow what a challenge! I'm so sorry you have such high levels in your wonderful root celler. But I am glad you discovered it so this can be remediated. Please let us know the before and after numbers. You could paint the pipe, build a box/ column like cover to hang stuff on, or learn masonry and cover it with stonework depending on how much the pvc bugs you. Perhaps start with painting and live with it a little... then step up to a wooden cover...
We'll be anxious to see the after numbers!!! Right now he's thinking wood, but who knows what we'll wind up doing. Stonework might be above our skill level. 😁
Good to see you can save a wonderful part of the house. Maybe use some smaller fieldstone to cover the pipe.
Thanks. That could work. It'll be interesting to see how we wind up covering them up. 🙂
You wear many hats as a farm owner - Hope it all works out
Yep, one more 'challenge', but hopefully the new ventilation will fix it. We're going to start breaking through the wall tomorrow....should be interesting. 😬
Aw, man! Bummer! Painting the pipe black might help the appearance. Would the stored food absorb the radioactive gas?
Right now we're thinking some kind of wood cover, but we're not quite sure yet. As for the food, we are hoping that the ventilation will take care of most of the radon problem. From what we've read the biggest danger from radon is breathing it for a LONG time. Most sources say the food would be ok, but if the levels are still high we will be doing more research.
Excellent work there!! What have you done with the cellar in the barn?
We've been focused on the inside stuff so far, but the barn cellar is still on the "to do"list. It's going to need a lot of masonry work/repair.
Great job ! Would a concrete floor have helped ?
It may have helped, but it would take away some of the humidity in the root cellar....we're hoping for very high humidity. When they did the mitigation, they would have cut through the conrete to create negative pressure. (That's what they did in the larder level.)
What about your food non canned you keep in the basement? Love your channel I am up in Williamsport
We're fairly certain that getting the levels down in the root cellar will have an impact on the larder level. (lowing the levels) From what we've read, the biggest risk with radon is breathing it over a long period of time. Most info says food will be ok, but if the levels are still high after the ventilation system is finished, will have to do further research.