change floor under radiator

Mike T., Swampeast MO

As long as the piping is accessible, it's no big deal to replace the nipples going up through the floor if necessary. Just make certain they're replaced with black pipe--not galvanized.

Fred Smith

change floor under radiator

I am planning on remodeling my kitchen and would like to replace the floor my 2-pipe radiator is mounted on. The floor is currently vinyl with a 2x8 diagonal sub-floor. I do not know if there is an intermediate layer between the vinyl and sub-floor. Assuming there is not, replacing the vinyl with cork or ceramic flooring will likely increase the floor thickness and raise the radiator above the inlet and exit pipes. I intend to hire a qualified professional to handle the radiator portion of the job but I want to be able to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of potential solutions. What is the best strategy for handling this problem?

Should I retain the floor level under the radiator feet and drop samples of the new floor into the indentation around the feet to hide the metal base plate the radiator sits on?

Can the pipes be easily extended with a connection between old and new pipe below the floor in the basement?

Thoughts and ideas would be helpful.

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Looks best if you have the radiator on top of the finished floor. Really not a difficult job if the piping is reasonably accessible. If the horizontal runs to the rad are fairly long there's a decent chance there will be enough play without any re-piping.

Can you see the piping to the radiator?

Fred Smith

I figured it would look best above the new floor.

Yes, I can see the piping below the floor but the runs to the radiator are short side-connections from longer pipes.