Radiant Heat Flooring Concrete

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

Radiant heat flooring concrete.

Instead of blowing hot air through a vent or pumping hot water to a baseboard radiator along the wall radiant heat warms up the entire floor. With concrete floor radiant heat your home will no longer have hot or cold spots just even quite draft free heat. Due to it s density and low conductivity concrete retains heat very well. As warm water circulates through the tubing or as electricity warms the heating elements the concrete flooring turns into an efficient inconspicuous radiator.

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. Both provide heating in a room from the floor up for consistent efficient warmth. On the other hand hydronic floor heating systems require the floor height to be raised significantly more. Electric floor heating systems typically cost between 10 and 20 per square foot depending on the system you buy.

Radiant systems require layered flooring so that the tubing can be hidden under the top layer. 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. Radiant heat dates to ancient times when the romans warmed rooms by running the flues for slave tended wood burning fires under elevated marble floors keeping toes and togas nice and toasty. Since concrete flooring is homogeneous concrete alone is a poor choice for radiant heating.

When installed in a concrete slab radiant underfloor heating is. In 1973 it has a concrete slab foundation with radiant heat water runs thru copper tubing within slab. We wanted a wood floor and spent a lot of time talking to flooring experts. Either through pipes carrying hot water embedded in or directly below the floor or via electric mats in or below the floor.

There s two basic types of concrete floor heating hydronic and electric. 14 years later still in good shape and seems to keep house warm and comfortable. How does radiant heat work. Depending on the project radiant floor heating can be costly.

Installing pex tubing in a concrete slab is one of the easiest ways to install radiant heat. Warm water systems run hot water through pipes to create heat whereas electric underfloor heating heats wiring beneath the floor to generate heat. We were told the only way to go was a wood engineered floor glued down. However radiant heat systems can be embedded in concrete floor slabs as long as a subsequent top floor covering such as tile is added.

Many centuries later in this country frank lloyd wright buried copper pipes in the concrete floors of his usonian homes and warmed them with hot water.