Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating System Over Existing Concrete Slab

Radiant heat warms a floor s surface through electric mats or water tubing installed on the surface of a concrete floor and encased in an additional thin layer of concrete or thinset.

Hydronic radiant floor heating system over existing concrete slab.

Existing slab foam for insulation vapor barrier subfloor with radiant tubing paths finish floor. This system does not move the air with blowers and thereby reduces dust and. 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. How does radiant heat work.

Existing floor is 2 1 4 x 3 4 oak strip hardwood floor. There are several manufacturers of electric radiant floor heating systems that can be placed directly on top of an existing concrete slab. You re going to lose a lot of energy heating the slab ground if there isn t some better insulating layer like foam boards. The heat from the radiant heated floor rises to heat all surfaces in a room or home.

14 years later still in good shape and seems to keep house warm and comfortable. Shimon rura nov 23 15 at 20 05. This is the best choice for new construction and areas receiving new slabs. From what i ve read the usual approach is.

Delivered via warm water in plastic tubing installed in a floor radiant floor heating moves out from there making the room feel warm and comfortable. While it was done as a new house was being built in my last house i poured a concrete floor on top of a wood framed floor system and could have put radiant heat in that as well. Need to marry the existing oak floor conventional wood subfloor structure to new concrete slab using new oak strip flooring. The system works via pex pipe a small pump a water heater and a thermostat.

We were told the only way to go was a wood engineered floor glued down. 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. Due to it s density and low conductivity concrete retains heat very well. Addition floor will be slab above grade with poly and rigid foam underneath the slab.

A slab on grade is defined as any concrete slab poured over excavated soil. We wanted a wood floor and spent a lot of time talking to flooring experts. There s two basic types of concrete floor heating hydronic and electric. From a radiant heating perspective it doesn t matter if the slab is actually at grade or is poured several feet below grade as part of a full foundation.

Check out our video how to install radiant floor heat tubing in a slab on grade and read this page for a. I m building an addition that partly includes an extension for an existing room off one side of my house here in connecticut. In 1973 it has a concrete slab foundation with radiant heat water runs thru copper tubing within slab. Some look like wire fencing that you roll out over the floor.

Though installing a radiant floor heating system can run up to 50 percent more than for example conventional forced air heat it saves 30 percent in energy costs eventually paying for itself.