This question is answered when the subject of Radon Gas is addressed. Radon Gas is known to cause cancer. Radon Gas is all over Alaska. Radon Gas is prevalent in winter, the best time of year to test. You can pay to have your lot tested for Radon Gas and if the gas is detected, a sheet of 6 mil. plastic is spread over the ground to prevent the gas from entering the home. Or, when you set up the home place the plastic down first, then set your foundation. This eliminates the expense of testing and helps to solve the airflow problem under the skirting and insulation system. Here’s how:
The plastic sheet should be wider and longer than the home. Where the plastic sheet meets the insulation system, you fold over the plastic on top of itself creating a pocket that you stuff with fiberglass under the insulation and skirting. This seals the space under the insulation and skirting stopping the airflow. When the ground heaves from frost heave, it smashes the fiberglass and when the ground thaws it drops and the fiberglass expands keeping the space filled stopping the airflow. The fiberglass is not there for R value, just to stop airflow.
Placing plastic under an established home is a little more labor intense, but the results are well worth the effort in preventing cancer and in the savings you acquire from reduced heating costs. Starting at one end, unroll the plastic to the first set of foundation blocks, remove the blocks, and unroll the plastic to the next set of foundation blocks, replace the removed blocks. (This is a great opportunity to ensure the blocking system is set correctly. See Foundations.) Continue until the plastic is under the entire home. Where water and utility lines occur, cut the plastic then tape over the cut after the plastic is in place.
Here’s the result: Protection from Radon Gas preventing cancer, stops airflow under the home keeping your waterline from freezing and when it’s necessary to get under the home, you crawl around on clean plastic instead of dirt!
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