Thin Slab
Tubing or electric heating elements are attached to the wood sub floor with fasteners to hold them in place until a concrete, lightweight concrete, gypsum underlayment is installed as the final sub floor.
Gypsum products bond to the sub floor and are generally thinner and lighter than concrete. The sub floor structure must be built to minimize flexing to avoid cracking the slab.
Engineered Sub Floor
An engineered, load bearing board takes the place of the structural sub floor. It has a laminated layer of aluminum and a channel to accept tubing. Hardwood floors can be nailed directly to the sub floor plates or carpet and pad placed over the plates.
It is also possible to nail a second sub floor over the plates for a smoother finish for vinyl areas. A cement board is used when tile or stone is to be installed.
Concrete Slab
Tubing or electric heating elements are attached to wire mesh or fixtures to hold them in place until the concrete floor is poured.
The tubing or elements are embedded in the concrete anywhere from the bottom of the slab to within 2 inches of the surface, depending on the design and installation technique.
Sub Floor Plates
Aluminum plates supported by wood or plastic spacers contain channels which accept tubing. These plates spread the heat uniformly beneath the finished floor.
Hardwood floors can be nailed directly to the sub floor plates or carpet and pad placed over the plates. It is also possible to nail a second sub floor over the plates for a smoother finish for vinyl areas. A cement board is used when tile or stone is to be installed.
Sub Floor Board
Remanufactured boards with a laminated layer of aluminum and a channel to accept tubing are screwed or nailed to the sub flooring. Hardwood floors can be nailed directly to the sub floor plates or carpet and pad placed over the plates.
It is also possible to nail a second sub floor over the plates for a smoother finish for vinyl areas. A cement board is used when tile or stone is to be installed. Particle board is not recommended as a sub floor.
Staple-up
Tubing is attached to the underside of the existing sub floor. Aluminum plates can be used to spread the heat evenly under the sub floor. Insulation is placed in the joist space beneath the tubing.
A 2 inch air space is usually left between the insulation and the bottom of the sub floor. Obviously, care must be taken when nailing any floor covering from above.
Hanging in Joist Space
Tubing is suspended several inches beneath the sub floor in the joist space. Insulation is installed in the joist space beneath the tube with a 2 to 4 inch air space between the top of the insulation and the bottom of the sub floor.
The air within this space is heated by the tube which, in turn, heats the underside of the sub floor.
What can go wrong with Hydronic Radiant Heating
Hydronic radiant floor heating systems use a boiler to heat up hot water and a pump to circulate the hot water in plastic pipes installed in a concrete slab. The pipes, embedded in the floor, carry heated water that conduct warmth to the surface of the floor where it broadcasts energy to your the room.
Typically, hydronic heating systems breakdowns involve the boiler, water heater, circulation pump or controls. If you've looked into radiant heating systems or asked contractors about the option, you may have heard "horror stories" of homeowners having to replace the floors to fix a problem. In the past, hydronic systems were know for their high maintenance costs and potential leakage problems.
However, the most common pipes used today are leak resistant, non-toxic, high-.temperature, flexible piping called cross-linked polyethylene or PEXas it is known in the ndustry. Popular due to the fact that it can handle both aggressive concrete additives and also water conditions while not becoming brittle over time, PEX tubing has been used in Europe since the 1970s and in the US since the 1980s. PEX tubing has proven to be much more reliable.
It is important to select quality materials in a radiant floor heating project, as leaks or system failures are not easy to fix. In the 90s, Heatway systems installed in 658 homes turned out to be defective. The class action lawsuit from homeowners resulted in millions of dollars in compensation.
Click Here to contact our Solar and Radiant Division Manager, Bill Spezza for any special requirements, needs or any questions that you may have.
