Electric Radiant On Slab?

TonyG7

Hello everyone, new here with some questions.

I have a customer who has a room (140sf) that is now a den but wants to turn into a bedroom for her mother. The room is on a slab on grade with thin cork tiles on top. She has expressed a want to eliminate the cold floor "feel" she is currently getting. The main heat source in the room is forced air and seems to be adequate for the room although the ceiling is under a flat roof and will definitely get much needed re-insulation. She thinks she wants electric radiant under the floor. The new finished flooring can't be much higher than 3/4" to 1" from existing hence electric versus hydronic. Her finished flooring preferences would exclude w/w carpeting, maybe wood/laminate and could be tile knowing the heat mass collecting benefits associated with but still would want a sisal area rug for more comfort. I know that any rug will impede the heat transfer.

I was wondering if some sort of thin insulating material was to be put down onto the concrete then I guess a laminate floating floor, would this be enough to get the cold "feel" out of the floor? If not then I'd like to understand the costs involved in going the radiant way?

What method, cable or matt, of electric radiant would be recommended?
What are the materials, labor AND average electric usage costs be (Northeast)?
How many hours of labor to install?
Would the control allow programmable operation versus just on off?

Thanks for your help and let me know if I should be posting this else where on the forum.

angus242

http://www.contractortalk.com/search...archid=2251058

http://www.contractortalk.com/f16/pr...success-27899/

http://www.contractortalk.com/f44/

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Angus
L+M+O+P=C
"Promise only what you can deliver. Then deliver more than you promise"

TonyG7

thanks for the response angus242.

1st link I hit and get "Sorry - no matches. Please try some different terms"

2nd link brings me to the Pricing,success forum. I should post my question there also?

3rd link is telling me to make a proper introduction?

also what are "tags" when searching?


thanks for my non forum savvyness.

Heritage

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Toronto General Contractor-Renovation Blog-Contractor on Facebook-Renovation on twitter-Contractor Youtube

XanadooLTD

you are a three dollar bill and fifty cents from the answer.

MarcD

Do some research on different heating options,
You are going to have to have an electrican run this.

Look at tile with ditra wont raise it up to much.

Even installing wood floors you are going over an inch just on the sub and floor itself. and then you need to groove cut for your radiant

sounds like you need to do some research. If you havent done this before i would sub it out as it is expensive, can be dangerous and there isnt room for error.

radiant floors are very nice

TonyG7

Thanks all for the responses.

Heritage/XanadooLTD Good to see some humor and laughs going around I got the fifty cents and thought I had a three dollar bill kicking around somewhere but... Anyhow I am starting to get some good info.

thanks MarkD, I was not aware of Ditra and it makes alot of sense especially going directly over concrete. Do you know if a mature (15-30 yrs) slab, is it still prone to cracking? I suppose if there are large trees nearby the root system may cause new cracks. When you talk about groove cutting the floor, would that be for cable type electric rather than mat? Do you need an electrician if it was mat type like they do for under tile bath floors?

Does anyone know if there is a relatively thin insulating material that can be put right over the existing cork tile than perhaps a laminate floor, would this be enough to eliminate the cold feel that currently exists? Cause if this does then main problem solved.

thanks again and keep them coming

Warmsmeallup

After the insults, have you found an answer to your question. If not, look up Zmesh on the net or

http://www.comfortradiant.com/zmeshinterior.php

Zmesh will do what you were originally looking to do.