Radiant floor heating and flooring

[BPS. LLC]

Have any of you guys with OWB's and in floor heating had any problems with your flooring? I was just wondering if there's been any problems with expansion/contraction of building materials and how different types of flooring handle the radiant heating...just curious...

 

[mayhem100]

I don't have an OWB, but my basement slab is a radiant floor. I think pretty much any flooring material should be able to be heated fine so long as you're setting up the system correctly. You're not supposed to run the floor tubing at the same kinds of temperatures you run to say a baseboard heater. My floor pex runs around 90-100 degrees max input temps. You have to keep it going though and since mine is run off an oil boiler I tend to keep it shut down, not the best investment for me personally.

 

[reaperman]

I don't have an OWB, but my basement slab is a radiant floor. I think pretty much any flooring material should be able to be heated fine so long as you're setting up the system correctly. You're not supposed to run the floor tubing at the same kinds of temperatures you run to say a baseboard heater. My floor pex runs around 90-100 degrees max input temps. You have to keep it going though and since mine is run off an oil boiler I tend to keep it shut down, not the best investment for me personally.

If your only running your pex temps at 90 or 100 degrees that may explain why you have second thoughts on your system. You can safely run those temps up around 130-140 degrees without having issues with your cement. Running temps that low will result in little benefit. Look at a sidewalk or cement slab in the summer time. The temp just from the sun is well over 100 degrees. Crank up the pex temps and you may reconsider your investment. A properly installed in-floor heating system is very beneficial.

 

[BPS. LLC]

If your only running your pex temps at 90 or 100 degrees that may explain why you have second thoughts on your system. You can safely run those temps up around 130-140 degrees without having issues with your cement. Running temps that low will result in little benefit. Look at a sidewalk or cement slab in the summer time. The temp just from the sun is well over 100 degrees. Crank up the pex temps and you may reconsider your investment. A properly installed in-floor heating system is very beneficial.

Have you ever heard of the heat affecting the subfloor adhesive, tiles, grout, or other flooring such as laminate or hardwood?

 

[NCHornet]

If proper materials and proper installation were involed with installing your floor you shouldn't have any issues at all with radiant temps.

 

[wooddog 066]

In 7 yrs of heating my radiant in floor heat never had a problem just dont let the heat above 100 degrees in my opinion!!!!

 

[ericjeeper]

I have a home heated with in slab tubing. By design I only need 92° hot water to heat the house. I have found that if I run the temps higher it will heat the first part of the loop hot and satisfy the room temp.. Then I am left with uneven floor temps..
MY OWB is set at 150° and then I run it through a heat exchanger. and then I further mix it down in the closed system.. I am probably on average using 105° temps to heat my home.

 

[showrguy]

i run OWB at 180-190 deg.... have nurse tank in bsmt set at 140, i am suplying radiant heat to concrete garage and basement floors..
hardwood, tile, carpet, vinyl in main house, been running for 11 yrs. with no issues other than the hardwood floor boards do shrink slightly with the lack of moisture you'd have during the rest of the year.... a humidifier would solve the issue but i'm not bothered by it...
great heat by the way !!!!!!

 

[BPS. LLC]

i run OWB at 180-190 deg.... have nurse tank in bsmt set at 140, i am suplying radiant heat to concrete garage and basement floors..
hardwood, tile, carpet, vinyl in main house, been running for 11 yrs. with no issues other than the hardwood floor boards do shrink slightly with the lack of moisture you'd have during the rest of the year.... a humidifier would solve the issue but i'm not bothered by it...
great heat by the way !!!!!!

Thanks, that was exactly the answer I was looking for...we're building in the spring...and I hate creaking floors..

 

[showrguy]

just wanted to clarify,
my floors don't creak in the least little way...
i put down 4 1/2" tonge and groove oak, then sanded and finished..
i will warn ya though, be carefull if using an air nailer/stapler, i borrowed one from one of my builders and he said they would not protrude to underside of 3/4" advantec subfloor..... well, guess what, he was wrong, luckily it was a 60 deg day in the winter mos. and i had some splicing to do...
where you building in Pa. anyway ??