Which is a better way to go for my footings?

I need 24" by 10" footings about 300' and I was wondering which option would be better, and more economical. I do have radon concern, which is why FAD called my attention, but someone said fast-foot with regular perimeter perf pipe would be cheaper, and perf pipe under the slap for radon control. Any thoughts?

Thanks

This discussion frequently comes up. Form-a-drain is about $18.00 for 12' section. To use the system to its fullest this is doubled (inner and outer forms). It is very straight to make leveling the footings easier. However, using 2x lumber with fast foot and then monopour the first 2 courses (see ICF mag this issue) eliminates many potential leveling issues. Cost wise form-a-drain is the most expensive option. I am not aware of prices for fast foot. I have heard of Tyvek being used for the same purpose.

Leonard

The use of Tyvek in lieu of fast foot has been discussed on this forum before. I see no reason not to use this substitution since the products are similar in nature, and Tyvek is readily available. Contact your local health dept. about your radon concerns, if you haven't already. They should have details concerning your location's potental problems, and any recommended radon mitigation procedures. If radon is a problem in your location, then simply installing perf. pipe under your slab probably will not be an adequate solution to keep radon levels below accepted norms.

I used 4" perforated pipe on both the inside and outside of the footing on my currently under construction ICF house. I connected them together at the lowest point and also ran a vent from the inner pipe to the roof. This way the inner pipe serves as both a drain, if water gets inside the footing, and a soil gas vent. There is no concern about radon where I built, but I figured it was a lot easier to put the inner vent/drain in now than a few years down the road! I also expect the inner drain to vent off water vapor that may collect under the crawl space slab I put in.

Will my system work as I expect? I really don't know and am not sure how I could ever easily determine if it does, but the theory of it all sure sounds good to me!!

I used FAD on my garage with a studio above because it was located on an active spring. It provides a no-brainer drainage. Leave yourself a cleanout point. The slab ends up higher than the inside/ouside FAD and I've had no moisture issues.

I used Fast Footer on the house with a perf-pipe footing drain. FAD seemed like overkill for this project. Like the garage, the house has a 15 mill vapor barrier set like a tub into which the slab was poured. It also has 2" of foamboard, so I'm not expecting any moisture problems. Both slabs daylight, so no radon concerns. Fast Footer is cheaper and faster, plus, you end up with some clean extra 2x lumber, which is always nice to have around.

dewattohouse.blogspot.com

Mark

Tyvek and other similar house wraps are water permiable, Fast-Foot is not.