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You should try to get in a minimum of R-30. If the heat loss downward is entirely wasted to a crawl space, for example, then your insulation method should be extensive. Most people don’t mind if they lose a little bit of heat downward in this scenario. If there is an unheated basement below then you should use R-19. Staple up insulation detail above a crawl space. There is no need to tape any of the seams. Crete-heat has a built in vapor barrier and is tongue and groove so it snaps together.
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There is no need for spending extra time bending over and tying the tubing to the mesh or rebar. All you have to do is walk the tubing in place, step it down between the nubs and keep going. This product has nubs on top to hold the tubing in place.
Radiant heat concrete flooring install#
Then, you are stuck with a 1/2″ of true insulation. This is a quick and easy product to install but in this case, quick and easy definitely isn’t the way to go.Ĭrete-heat is the name of one product that many of our customers use. You lose the reflective properties of the material once you pour concrete over it. These products claim a high R-value but most of this comes from its reflective properties. Some promote the use of thin sheets of foil/bubble or an insulating blanket. Typically, we recommended 2″ but some states now require 3″ or R-15. Extruded or expanded polystyrene (rigid blue or pink board) is the material of choice. Once the vapor barrier is in, you should insulate the slab from the earth.
Radiant heat concrete flooring how to#
This website is a good resource for why and how to install the vapor barrier. You should check with your code official for code compliance. Studies show that this may not be effective as other options. 6 or 8-mil Visqueen plastic (polyethylene plastic) has always been the material of choice. On top of your compacted earth or sand, you should install a vapor barrier. Preparing the Concrete Slab for Radiant Floor Heat Vapor Barrier Keep in mind that these recommendations are general in nature and you should always consult your code official for proper installation. Here are some general guidelines to follow. If it is not, you can have a floor heating system that is inefficient, costly to operate, and may not work at all. While it is simple, it is very important to do it correctly. The concrete slab installation is one of the simplest and most efficient ways to install radiant heat. THE CONCRETE SLAB RADIANT FLOOR HEATING INSTALLATION
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