Fwd: [Cob] radon and Happy New Year everybody!!

[Amanda Peck]

"Tends to rank" is the operative phrase.  IIRC Florence Alabama is fairly 
well mapped.  And the map looked like it had measles, not (just) because 
parts were not tested for radon.  Consider that the front of your city-sized 
lot could be "no radon to speak of" and the back "If you MUST build here 
your house has to go up on stilts!"  It all depends on the underlying 
geology.  Some areas do require a radon test of your proposed house site.

There are a couple of things called "solar chimney."  But the one of 
interest to me is a black box (or collector) set on or into the south side 
of your house.  Four outlets, two inside your building, two outside, two at 
the top, two at the bottom.  All four with flaps to close them.  Glass 
towards the south, insulated on the other three sides.  For ventilation you 
open the low inside and the high outside flaps.  And have a vent on the 
other side of the house--low if you're trying to exhaust hot air.

There are a couple of places that sell these things for heating--and 
somebody had an article in Home Power a few years ago with something on the 
same order, all using outside mounted collectors, hoses for the air.  For 
heating with the built-in box you open your inside top vent and either of 
the bottom ones.  The "off" switch is both outside vents open.

I just read a book about "free stuff from the sun" with the silliest version 
of this I've heard of.  Hang a black plastic bag in front of a south-facing 
window.  You do have to make  sure that the curtain rod is well out from the 
wall, and the bottom likewise is not sealed.  I'm sure it works.  Not so 
sure if we want plastic bags outgassing in the sun in our houses.  Might be 
counterproductive if you have a high thermal mass floor.

I'm told that people trying for the annual heat (and cooling!) storage 
strategies sometimes use these if they live in high mold or radon areas, 
although if you have to use one, you don't get the nice fresh air coming 
through the house from underground.  There are a couple of sites, but Don 
Stephens is one of the people doing some serious current thinking (and 
there's an article in the frame that isn't there!):

http://www.greenershelter.com/
..............
Joyce wrote (snipped)

But, of particular note was a national map on the EPA site showing regional 
levels by county in each state along with a scale -- red counties being the 
most at risk.

While it is good to know that my county tends to rank below the "danger" 
level, my awareness level is important.