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Looking Into Radiant Heating For
Concrete Floor
I would like to put radiant heating in
the lower level of my 1978-built split level. The floor is poured
concrete. I was hoping to put something on top of the existing concrete
floor. and then put something like a Pergo floor on top of that. Are there
any DIY systems that you can recommend.
I understand I may need a Professional HVAC person to do the connections
to the heat source.
Jay L.
You
could probably avoid hiring a professional for everything... if you
don't mind a little covert home improvement action, stealthily snaking
PEX tubing in the night while wearing fatigues.
You would also need to be familiar with making the plumbing connections
and adding another loop to your existing hydronic (hot water) heating
system. You DO already have a hydronic heating system, don't you? Adding
a system for just that lower level would not be worth it.
Now if I was faced with the same scenario, I would just install ceramic
tile on the concrete floor (or marble tile, if I was feeling rich) after
laying down floor warming cables such as the ones
shown on our site in the flooring section.
You can install tile directly on concrete... the most you'll have to do
is rough up any paint that is on the floor.
Installing true radiant heating (which is not the same as floor warming
cables) would also require pouring a layer of new concrete over the PEX
tubing. This would probably be about 2 inches thick, which would reduce
the headroom by that amount, and make the bottom stair riser different
from the others (a small nuisance). And installing Pergo or any wood
flooring will only serve to insulate you from all that heat... kinda
counter-productive I would say.
What is the primary problem? Is the lower level too cold? Is just the
floor too cold?
Some thoughts:
Simply adding Pergo over the concrete (with the usual thin layer of foam
insulation) will add a decent level of insulation, changing a cold floor
to a cool floor.
Are there leaky, drafty windows that are letting in a lot of cold air?
Is the present heating system adjusted properly? A lot of houses have
forced air heating systems but the owners don't realize there are
dampers that can be adjusted to close off the air flow to individual
rooms. Is there a damper for the lower level that is nearly shut?
If you have forced air heating, and the damper is wide open, you might
be able to add another duct. This can be done by most people.
Also, you can add a helper fan to an existing duct to add extra
"oomph" to the air flow. These fans are connected to the
furnace blower so they only run when the blower runs. This could be done
by most people who have basic familiarity with electrical projects.
Can you just add a baseboard electric heater? Baseboard electric is the
cheapest heating system to install... and the most expensive to run. But
it's also easy to control with a thermostat on the wall, so you can
leave it off when nobody's using the room.
Do you need more insulation around the lower level? You might be able to
add insulation around the outside, if you don't mind digging a trench.
Adding two inches of Styrofoam to the outside should help keep the lower
level much warmer. You can rent a small excavator (such as the
Terra-Mite I once rented) for about $200 a day. It's a real mini-me
backhoe... and it's a blast! But don't hit any gas lines, or it'll be a
blast literally! You need to call the utility line locator service
(every state has one, in Michigan it's called Miss Dig) to locate all
underground gas, water, phone and electric lines.
You might be able to add insulation on the inside, if you are going to
do some other remodeling. Also, check for drafts around the area where
the concrete meets the wood framing. This strip is notorious for air
leakage. Caulk away.
There are probably a lot of other options I'm not thinking of right now.
Take some time and assess the problem. What is the worst aspect of that
part of the house? Try to find out why it's so cold. Do you want to do
any other changes to that lower level? I strongly encourage people to
think big and make all the changes as part of one larger project, to
avoid having to undo something later.
If you really are set on radiant in-floor heating, then I would suggest
calling some local plumbing-and-heating contractors and getting some
input from them. See if any are willing to work with you. Some will only
want to do the entire job themselves, yet some contractors don't mind if
the homeowner does a labor-intensive part of the job. But I don't think
installing the in-floor tubing is all that labor-intensive, so I doubt
you'd save much.
Bruce W. Maki, Editor.
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