Conrete Floor Radiant Heating

The workers in the photograph at page top where our concrete slab.

Conrete floor radiant heating.

Embedding your radiant heating system into a concrete slab is one of the most cost effective ways to install it and most energy efficient being that concrete is a great thermal mass. In contrast radiant floor heating systems heat the entire floor which leads to an evenly heated room and for an even ambient temperature around a person s body. Its success with carpeted floors depends on the length of the weave thick carpets or those with thick pads won t work well as heat generated by the system will stay trapped in the floor. Warm water systems run hot water through pipes to create heat whereas electric underfloor heating heats wiring beneath the floor to generate heat.

Unlike heat from a forced air system which quickly rises to the ceiling the heat from a radiant floor is distributed evenly throughout the room and is concentrated at floor level where people are. This is the best choice for new construction and areas receiving new slabs. This article explains how to avoid some fatal mistakes when installing radiant heat in a concrete floor slab by describing an incompetent radiant heat floor installation along with an explanation of why things went wrong and how to avoid these errors. There s two basic types of concrete floor heating hydronic and electric.

There are two types of radiant floor heating electric and water based systems. With concrete floor radiant heat your home will no longer have hot or cold spots just even quite draft free heat. This means that you will feel more comfortable at a lower ambient temperature level because you won t experience cold drafts. Both provide heating in a room from the floor up for consistent efficient warmth.

For concrete floor radiant heating systems the warm water tubing or electric heating elements can either be embedded within the slab on grade anywhere from the bottom of the slab to within 2 inches of the surface depending on the design and installation technique or fastened to the top of a concrete subfloor and then covered with an overlay. Ideal for installing large tiles 12 and up directly over our radiant floor heating mats. Helps to avoid nicking the wire. Radiant heating system design or installation mistakes that must be avoided.

The most cost effective system for medium to larger homes is hydronic since the amount of power it would take to heat a whole home with electric would be substantial. Save 55 get free shipping or call to get a phone only special. Due to it s density and low conductivity concrete retains heat very well. Radiant heating works well with ceramic tile and vinyl but not with wood floors.