Need advice on efficient heating method for 2nd floor porch?

Meatman

I'm looking for advice or ideas to efficiently heat my second floor enclosed porch which is above an outside porch open to the elements - I have attached an image of the porch. I live in southern Ontario, so the winters can get cold and my heating bills are consistently $200-$300 more per month than my neighbours because of it.

Initially we installed electric baseboard heaters, but after one winter it was obvious they weren't efficient and costing probably $400+ per month to heat. The following year we installed a ductless mitsubishi split system which is rated to heat (and cool) for temperatures down to -25c. We were advised this would be more efficient, which it was, but it is still hundreds of dollars per month more than what our neighbours pay.

I have had insulation blown into the floor and also replaced the soffits and fascia without vents around the porch, and that does appear to have helped a bit without the breeze going up through the ceiling. Right now for flooring, I have the original hardwoods as well as another layer of oak hardwood laid on top of that. The windows all around the porch are new within the past five years.

We are planning an addition and would like to finally get a solution that will work for heating and not cost me hundreds of dollars every month just to heat. So all options are available. What I have been thinking about, but really don't know if it will work any better, is in-floor radiant (water) heat, possibly using warmboards?

We do plan to install radiant throughout the new addition, so it could be linked in. But I don't really want to spend that money if it is not going to be a solution. The only flooring material which we won't consider for it would be tile as it is used as a kids playroom. Which I imagine would likely be the best fit for radiant heated floors.

Anyway, any ideas or advice would be greatly appreciated. Or even just an expert saying I'm screwed and there isn't anything I can do to make an exposed porch more efficient.

Thanks.

Bob Bona_4

You're gonna need a comprehensive heat loss and gain calc done to start, and a radiant design done as well. At first blush it appears radiant may struggle from all the outside exposure I'm seeing.

hot_rod

Sounds like you know the challenges of insulating and heating that space. the windows will cost you, any coverings that you could close at night would help.

next run a load calc on the space, that will give you a good idea on how much heat energy you need.

here is a link to a free calculator.


http://www.usboiler.net/heat-loss-calculator.html