Replacing fin-tube with radiant floor

Dave Gulbranson

A question about hight temps and tile floors. In a 65 Sq. foot bathroom in a basement where the homeowner wants to cut out his old 5 foot piece of fin-tube and put in a radiant floor. The question is: can I cut out the baseboard, splice in a piece of pex and bury it in the 1 1/2" mud set? I'm concerned that the high temp basebaord loop will wreak havoc with the finished tile floor. I'm not sure I can insulate it due to the added thickness of the insulation. I could bust out 5 feet of floor and really bury the splice, but if I don't have to... The home owner/ tile installer is wondering about using some sort of thicker base trim to get out past the edge of the tubing 1 3/4" from the wall. What should I do?

Dave Gulbranson

Replacing fin-tube with radiant floor

A question about hight temps and tile floors. In a 65 Sq. foot bathroom in a basement where the homeowner wants to cut out his old 5 foot piece of fin-tube and put in a radiant floor. The question is: can I cut out the baseboard, splice in a piece of pex and bury it in the 1 1/2" mud set? I'm concerned that the high temp basebaord loop will wreak havoc with the finished tile floor. I'm not sure I can insulate it due to the added thickness of the insulation. I could bust out 5 feet of floor and really bury the splice, but if I don't have to... The home owner/ tile installer is wondering about using some sort of thicker base trim to get out past the edge of the tubing 1 3/4" from the wall. What should I do?

Al Letellier

high temp radiant

Don't run high temp water. Instead of 1 1/2" mud set consider a layer of 1" plywood glued and secured and a layer of QuikTrac. Same thickness and you can use a mixing valve to lower the temp. For best results, use a floor sensor/room stat and put it on its own zone. Not the best insulation value, but that dense plywood and the tubing being directly beneatht the tile make for a good installation. Have done it many times with good success

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Dave Gulbranson

Low temp floor

The floor will be low temp, piped off of a 3 way. The splice from the removed fin tube will be the only high temp part of the floor. It will run next to an outside wall but still be part of the tiled floor.