Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating On Existing Slab

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.

Hydronic radiant floor heating on existing slab.

Here s how to go about installing it. The space was heating just fine but because of the low heat loss of the basement it just never ran long enough to feel it. Especially with new construction this method can make a lot of sense because the thermal performance of the finished floor rivals a slab on grade installation and it doesn t get any better than that. You can step onto a warm and inviting floor even one built on a concrete slab by adding in floor heating.

The best way to retrofit radiant floor heating without disturbing an existing floor is to do it from below against the underside of the subfloor. What i ve got is 3 separate rooms for a total of 800 sq feet. Existing slab foam for insulation vapor barrier subfloor with radiant tubing paths finish floor. From what i ve read the usual approach is.

If you install hot water tubing above such a slab you ll increase your heating costs compared to other methods of heat delivery because much of the heat produced by your boiler will be delivered to the soil under your slab. The system works via pex pipe a small pump a water heater and a thermostat. These radiant floor heating systems can also be installed on top of a slab before the flooring goes down. Radiant tubing installed on top of an existing floor is called a suspended slab.

If i had the chance to do it again i would have installed a radiant wall or ceiling. One i ve used that worked well is made by uponor. September 2019 in radiant heating hello i ve read so many things about overpouring on top of an existing slab but all of them i have read have some height limit. Secure a plywood subfloor to the concrete slab.

Unlike the staple up within the floor joist method. There are several manufacturers of this type of radiant floor heating. In floor radiant heat is a very poor choice if you have an uninsulated 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.

It would have been easier to install and not add too much height to the floor. While hot water and air based radiant heat systems require pipes being laid beneath the. It can go under most existing flooring including wood tile vinyl and even carpet. This is about installing hydronic radiant floor heating in a slab floor system.

The heat from the radiant heated floor rises to heat all surfaces in a room or home. You re going to lose a lot of energy heating the slab ground if there isn t some better insulating layer like foam boards.