In Floor Heat For Concrete

Typically radiant heating systems warm floors to temperatures of 75 to 80 degrees f.

In floor heat for concrete.

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. When installed on top of a concrete slab without insulation it is generally accepted that a radiant floor heating system will take the chill away from the floor and provide a small amount of warmth. Tubes that circulate hot water or electrical heating elements are installed in the concrete slab when it s poured turning the thermal mass of the concrete into an inconspicuous radiator of warm even heat. This is about installing hydronic radiant floor heating in a slab floor system.

By contrast according to roddy scheer and doug moss of scientific american the uniform heat distribution over the entire surface of a floor heats the lower half of the room enveloping inhabitants in warmth at a lower overall temperature in some cases up to 5 degrees fahrenheit cooler than a conventional heating system. Plain concrete slabs have served as the flooring material for basements garages patios and utility areas for many years but concrete is now also a viable material in home interiors where it can be polished etched or stained to serve as the finished flooring surface if you are used to thinking of concrete as a utilitarian surface suitable only for utilitarian surfaces the many virtues. Mainly heated slabs radiate outward rather than downward so insulation on the edges of the slab is most important. 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.

Most of the heat rises to the ceiling. The system works via pex pipe a small pump a water heater and a thermostat. The science behind radiant floor heating is quite simple. Find concrete floor contractorsto install radiant heating.

The workers in the photograph at page top where our concrete slab. Make sure your concrete has completely cured before you lay down your in floor heating mat. Any cooler surface in contact with the slab will try to steal its heat. When the concrete floor is heated the heat rises warming everything in the room.

Radiant heating system design or installation mistakes that must be avoided. Warm heat distributed with forced hot air systems is uneven. Due to it s density and low conductivity concrete retains heat very well. The insulation phase is crucial for a radiant floor.

Like sand concrete is an ideal carrier of radiant heat because of its inherent thermal mass.