Understanding Radon

Understanding Radon

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What is Radon Gas?

Radon gas is an odorless, colorless, tasteless gas found in many, many homes.  There are an estimated 3,300 radon-induced lung cancer deaths per year in Canada.  It is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking.

Where does Radon come from? 

Radon comes from the decay of uranium minerals found in rock, soil, and water.  It does not naturally occur indoors, however, radon can get into your home anywhere it finds an opening where your home contacts soil.  For example, cracks in foundation walls and floor slabs, construction joints, gaps around service pipes and support posts, floor drains and sumps, and water supply.

Why is Radon so dangerous?

Radon itself is radioactive.  When outdoors, radon mixes with the open air and dilutes it.  However, indoors, it is trapped.  It becomes concentrated resulting in serious health risks, especially lung cancer.

To find out if your home has a radon problem you have to measure the radon concentration inside of it.

How Do I Test My Home for Radon?

To find out if your home has a radon problem you have to measure the radon concentration inside of it.

Health Canada recommends you test for radon every two years.  Radon is volatile and it is normal for levels of radon to change regularly 

There are radon professionals in the Greater Vancouver area like Radon Environmental who can work with you to test your home.  They provide radon mitigation solutions for residential homes and workplaces.

Radon Mitigation Products

As a builder, we use radon mitigation products in the construction of your home to decrease the amount of radon gas capable of seeping into the home.   By doing so, we ensure your new home is safe and free from harmful levels of radon gas.

Health and safety is one of our top priorities, which is why radon mitigation is an important aspect to every one of our new homes.  We urge you to look into what you can do to keep your family safe.

Concrete Window Wells

Maintenance Free Window Wells

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What is a Window Well?

If your home has a basement with windows you probably have window wells too.  Window wells are the openings in the ground that allow light to come into the basement.  Often, window wells are made from metal, plastic, wood, or concrete blocks to support the surrounding earth.  Window wells must be properly installed to ensure excess rainwater drains away from your foundation.  They can become a high maintenance item if not properly built and cared for.

Why Concrete?

Our solution is a maintenance free stamped concrete window well.  Why concrete?  Pressure treated wood will last between 5 to 10 years.  Corrugated metal will start to rust and break down between 10 and 15 years after installation.  If improperly installed, both of these products can become a concern for the homeowner.  They can cave in or become misaligned with the foundation causing expensive repair bills.

How Long Does a Concrete Window Well Last?

A concrete window well installed directly onto the concrete footing of your home will never move and can last indefinitely.  They are strong, durable, and virtually maintenance free.  A well built concrete window well will go a long way in preventing future water damage in the basement of your home.

Check out our video below! For more videos on how we build new homes built, click here.

Maintenance Free Concrete Window Wells
ICF Foundation

ICF – Starting with a Better Foundation

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This week we started the foundation on the “Woodside” home at the Vine at Pepin Brook.  If you drive be the site, you will notice we are building the foundation out of Quadlock ICF, also known as “Insulated Concrete Forms”.   These large foam panels are easy to assemble, almost like building with lego, and contribute to our High Performance Wall system.  Once the concrete for the foundation has been poured, the icf panels remain in place, not stripped away like form panels of a conventional foundation.

Why Do We Use Insulated Concrete Forms?

We believe achieving the best living environment starts with a solid foundation.  We use ICF (insulated concrete forms) to produce a more comfortable, quiet, and energy-efficient home than those built with traditional construction methods. Homes built with ICF foundations retain heat more effectively.  Basements feel warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.  Homes have a more even temperature, fewer drafts, and fewer hot and cold spots.

Building for Comfort

As a builder, we keep comfort in mind when we build a home.  Both thermal comfort and sound-wise comfort.  We find ICFs are ideal for both.   A comfortable environment offers a better quality of home life for families and their guests.

Saving on Energy

An ICF foundation provides greater insulation performance ratings, resulting in better energy efficiency.   These high-performing foundations contribute to lower energy bills and less wear and tear on the home mechanicals.

Good Air Quality

Indoor air quality is something we often don’t think about until it becomes a concern.  Maintaining a healthy environment is important in any indoor space, especially your home.  An ICF foundation, combined with the Sonbuilt High Performance Wall system and a heat recovery ventilator, will keep humidity levels in a healthy range and provide filtered, unpolluted air for everyone in the home.  The risk of mold is greatly reduced and indoor air is filtered and fresh.

Are you interested in owning this rancher, the “Woodside” and benefiting from living in a better built home?  Contact us today!  Let’s talk!

ReUse, RePurpose, ReCycle

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This latest Sonbuilt Fraser Valley project is all about doing a demolition responsibly. We are re-purposing as items in the home as possible by reusing many materials in the new build and recycling the items we don’t use to ensure they don’t end up in a landfill.

Reducing Waste

As a team, we are tackling this home as a “dismantling” project, rather than attack and destroy. Each item is carefully uninstalled and analyzed. If it can be reused in the future home, we will wrap it for storage. Some items are being donated to charity. Others are being sold on social media. Recyclable materials will be sorted through responsibly. As much as possible, we are avoiding the garbage bin.

We are enjoying this challenge! Stay tuned for updates and photos!

Merry Christmas from Sonbuilt

Merry Christmas from Sonbuilt!

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Merry Christmas!

We at Sonbuilt Custom Homes would like to take a moment to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2019 is already shaping up to be a busy year for Sonbuilt!  This past fall we have worked diligently at completing the site services at THE VINE at Pepin Brook.   We are excited to be starting construction in the Spring.   If you are looking to have a home designed and built, be sure to contact us early in the New Year.

All the best this Holiday season!  And … a big thank you to all of our customers, staff, trades and suppliers!  We couldn’t do this without you!

Building a Rancher

Yes, We Build Ranchers!

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Do You Build Ranchers?

It’s the most common question we are asked.  A classic Rancher floor plan combines the kitchen, great room, 1 or 2 bedrooms, laundry room, and all other essentials spaces for daily living on a single level.  The home may include a basement below, or a games room above.

Ranchers are ideal for those ready to downsize after the kids have left home.  Perfect for one level living, yet still maintaining plenty of usable space for visiting grandchildren, entertaining friends, and weekly family dinners.

Several years ago we won 2nd place in a Canada wide competition for accessible housing.  This home, the Panama, was designed and built specifically for a “young at heart” couple who planned to live in their Sonbuilt home as long as possible.  It was their final home.   To see photos of this home, click here.

Do You Want to Live in a Rancher?

Are you thinking about downsizing and plan to make your next home your “final” home?  If so, let’s make that home a place where you can live independently and safely as long as possible.  We call this “Aging in Place”.  Click here to find out more information on what we design into our homes to ensure the home is safe and smart for long term living.

YES!  We do build ranchers!  Contact us today for more information!

Healthy Home

Quick Tips For a Healthy Home

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If you already own a home, here are some easy tips to follow to keep your home environment healthy:

Ventilation

Make sure you have fresh air circulating in your home.

Use Eco-Friendly Products

Keep air fresher and cleaner using toxin and pollutant free products

Choose Hardwood Flooring

Carpets can hide dust, pet hair, fungus, and other harmful particles

Unplug

Switch any technological devices not in use

Remove Your Shoes

Shoes can carry pollen, dirt, and soil from the outdoors into your home

Get It Tested

Ensure your home is radon free by getting it tested

Ensure Paint is Dry and Cured

While it’s exciting to set up a freshly painted room, ensure that paint is dry and cured before using it.

Change That Shower Curtain

Rotate your shower curtain regularly and avoid ones made from vinyl as they do become moldy quickly.

Visit our webpage on the High Performance Home to learn about building a healthy, energy efficient home.

Langley Spring Home Expo

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Come Say “Hi!” at our Booth!

Be sure to stop by our booth when you visit the Langley Spring Home Expo this weekend!

This Langley based show has a vast array of both interior and exterior products for your home and features a number of landscaping, remodeling, interior design, and home construction companies from areas throughout Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.

 

Langley Spring Home Expo

Location : George Preston Rec. Center  20699 42 Avenue in Langley

Show Hours :

Friday, April 13              1:00pm  –  6:00pm

Saturday, April 14          9:30am  –  5:30pm

Sunday, April 15            10:00am  –  4:00pm

Free parking and admission.  Looking forward to it!

The Blower Door Test

The Blower Door Test

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What is a blower door test?

A blower door test locates air leaks by using a special fan to depressurize a house.  Blower door tests are usually performed before and after air sealing to measure the effectiveness of the home sealing.

A blower door is a powerful fan that mounts into the frame of an exterior door located on the home. The fan removes air out of the house, and lowers the air pressure inside. The higher outside air pressure then flows in through all unsealed cracks and openings. A smoke pencil is used to detect air leaks. These tests determine the air infiltration rate of a building.

Blower doors consist of a frame and flexible panel that fit in a doorway, a variable-speed fan, a pressure gauge to measure the pressure differences inside and outside the home, and an airflow manometer and hoses for measuring airflow.

Who needs a blower door test?

Blower-door testing is useful for both new construction and existing homes. By testing a new home, we can determine whether a certain air tightness target has been achieved.  This is especially important when building an ENERGY STAR home or an R-2000 home.  The results of the blower door test are required for certification of the home.

Why is an airtight home important?

  • Energy consumption due to air leakage is reduced
  • Moisture condensation problems are avoided
  • Uncomfortable drafts caused by cold air leaking in from the outdoors are eliminated

We have been performing blower door tests on our homes for over 10 years.  It’s our way of showing our customers we stand behind our promise of building quality into our homes.

Foundation Finishing

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Transitioning from an ICF Foundation

Our foundation finishing details are an important part of keeping our homes dry and comfortable.  We use several different waterproof products to transition from our ICF (insulated concrete form) foundations to our exterior cladding.  Using these products ensure our foundations stay protected from water and dampness.

1.  Colphene

The first product we use is called Colphene, by Soprema.  Colphene is specifically designed to waterproof an ICF foundation.

2.  Delta Drain

We also use Delta Drain.  Delta Drain is an effective method to control the flow of damaging soil moisture and hydrostatic pressure through cracks and gaps in below grade structures. It is an essential element of a complete waterproofing system.

3.  TuffX

The final product we use is TuffX.  We use TuffX as a transition strip between the ground level and the exterior cladding.  TuffX is extremely durable and tough.

ICF foundations are known for reducing cold spots and drafts in basements.  By waterproofing our foundations we limit the potential for moisture to seep in through the foundation and fuel mold and mildew growth within interior finished basement walls.

For more information contact us!

Foundation Finishing