Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

hotrod, re Thermofin installation

Not sure if the fitting brushes would work well, the burs may just spread the wires on the brushes. We just took some 100 or 150 grit paper, rolled it up and just cleaned up the burs on the inside of the ends.

We ended up using 3/4" hex head screws for the Cfin, using a hex driver in a cordless. Gets tiring keeping pressure on philips screws overhead.

Comments

  • JudeNY
    JudeNY Member Posts: 50
    hotrod, re Thermofin installation

    I know you have a lot of experience installing Tfin and whatever you're doing works. RE specs say to screw it every 12-18 inches on both sides of track (14-18 screws per 8'). I think I remember you saying that you do every 10 inches on alternate sides (11 screws per 8'). Do I have your method right ? I am installing 2 rooms, one between the joists with C-fin, the other on top of the subfloor with U-fin and ply sleepers. Thanks.
  • Mark Wilson
    Mark Wilson Member Posts: 8
    screws

    We used about 10 screws/8', 11 would probably be better. As you have probably been told file/sand down the ends, especially after each cut. We used sandpaper. I used a short piece of copper tubeing to align adjacent plates. I also bought an air hammer from Danair with rubber heads for the tubing install. This was the smartest move we made. Saved a lot of overhead hasmmering with a rubber mallet.

    We have one room with U on sleepers in a room which was supposed to need supplemental heat. No problem and no suplemental heat. I will definetely use this product in our next house.
  • hr
    hr Member Posts: 6,106
    Be hard to over do the screwing

    :) I somehow end up with 16" on center distance. Guess my years on a framing crew have burned that dimension into my brain and eyeballs.

    I shot the plates with a 3/4" roofing nailer. Much faster than screws, for production work.

    I have two large plate jobs in the near future, I may demo a Paslode airless siding stapler. They make a 3/4" leg staple for it. I'd really like to do these crawl space jobs without tangle prone air hose.

    I suppose for your, one time, install screws would be best. Look for the type with the drill point to go through the plate with the least amount of push. Either hex head or square drive work well.

    Here are some plates I removed today. I had them installed in an area where there was no living space above. You can tell where my son helped with the nailing. He gets a bit carried away with the nail gun, sometimes. Quanity not quality :)

    These are some Quik Drive screws for their auto feed gun. The tool tends to plug up with aluminum shavings when working overhead, however. I still use the screws on small jobs, by hand, with a cordless.

    hot rod

    To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"
  • JudeNY
    JudeNY Member Posts: 50


    Thanks guys. I'm doing 18 plates per room - not exactly production work - so the power tool investment doesn't seem worth it. I have the 8 x 3/4 self drilling screws recommended by RE and a cordless screwdriver. I'll try 16 oc both sides of track between the joists and maybe fewer screws on the Ufin on sleepers. I tested a couple and they went in more easily than I expected. Thanks for the picture hotrod. The nailing looks pretty random so I guess I don't have to be precise with it.

    Mark, I thought I would need a file to deburr; good to hear that sandpaper worked. What about the polishing tools I use for polishing copper for soldering ?
  • hr
    hr Member Posts: 6,106
    Dee Burr

    wife of Aaron Burr?

    Aluminum is pretty soft. A pencil reamer works well, as does a rat tail file, or a knife with a stout blade.

    hot rod

    To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"
  • JudeNY
    JudeNY Member Posts: 50


    Thanks for the info and the smile.
  • ALH
    ALH Member Posts: 26
    Staples

    Senco SKS stapler with 1/2 inch crown 5/8 inch leg staples works very well. Not easy to remove if a plate is accidentally placed where heat is not needed, but it cuts installation time in half, easily.
This discussion has been closed.