Not sure to ask this here or in construction so I'll start here.
The log cabin kit homes we have seen all seem to have basements or crawl spaces with ducts under the main floor supplying floor registers. But if one were to build one on a slab (as opposed to having a basement or crawl space) is there a way pre-run forced air ducts into the slab whilst pouring it... or perhaps pouring it with chases for ducts? Or is this impossible or frowned upon?
But if one were to build one on a slab (as opposed to having a basement or crawl space) is there a way pre-run forced air ducts into the slab whilst pouring it...
Encasing ducts in a slab is a horrible idea regardless of if there are moisture problems or not.
People cling to bad construction practices: " 'cus that's teh way we's always done it."
The practices seem to be much worse in the southern us than elsewhere.
Though north of you we still have builders insulating basements with fiberglass and plastic vapor barrier so it's not strictly a southern american problem.
We saw some of that back in the 80s but it was usually a house with a crawl space with sunken living room so it just had one or two round ducts, that I think were PVC.
The better designed homes have had ducts under slab for nearly 70 years. Early when PVC was just a pup it was snap galvanized duct grouted in trenches with slab on top. Ours from about 35 years ago is PVC grouted in then slab poured.
Maybe they didn't know any better back then. Most people posting here and on other HVAC boards are looking for ways to overcome problems with in-slab ductwork which had got wet, rusted away, molded, houses bugs and critters, etc, etc.
If there are any alternative possibilities to in-slab-on-dirt ductwork, I'd try to find them.
Reminds me of the in ground ventilation ducts they used to put in Passivhaus's, to recover heat from the ground. Pretty sure they stopped doing it -- too many problems with mold.
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