anchoring pex to foam

Weezbo

i am an expert at spacing :) i have spaced out physicists,rocket scientists ,engineers, matamaticians :) i am sorta metaphysical at this stuff :) if you use more than one "loop" you may be able to arrange the pipe with justabout 1/4" spacing ...if you felt like it.just keep the loops so they follow the same paths,bending radius of the pipes depends on their size and the tubing types your choosing to use. the thing is that you may find it worth considering using say two loops instead of one just to be able to make certain spacings let me give you a general idea of tightening spacing with one loop first ,for 1/2" tubing.... get a 5 gallon pain bucket connect one end of the pipe to a header....pull the pipe out ten feet, staple it down,....put the chubby end of the bucket at about 2 foot away from the run,...wrap the bucket at the foam...staple it down,...bring the pipes back along the 10 foot run at say 6"and run it back where you have it fastened....that is a picture of one means of making spaces of any dimension up to the dimension of the buckets diameter...and or within about 1/4" spacing of one another....

Royboy

anchoring pex to foam

wondering about people's prefered method of tieing down pex for radiant slab installations. I have mostly zip tied to wire mesh or rebar. I am questioning that method as my desire is to keep the tubing low in the slab (usually 4" thick) whereas if the mesh or rebar is intended to be structural, which it usually is, it wants to be up in the middle, which puts the tubing too high in the slab, at least for my preferences.

has anyone used the plastic clips that screw into the sub-slab foam insulation? not sure who makes them but I know that in my area, at least, they are sold at Menards (a regional big box), along with a drill operated installing tool.

other favored approaches?

Steve Ebels_3

We use

The screw in clips occasionaly but prefer to use a stapler and staples made for foam. About 1/4 the labor of clips. Ours is a Stadler/Viega piece that uses 2" staples. Works slick.

hr

Ideally the tube is not at the bottom

of a 4" slab. Or any slab for that matter 1/2" tube on 6X6 #10 mesh on 1" tall chairs should be safe from saw cuts. IF the grade is accurate and the entire slab is 4" thick!

Really # 10 mesh does not do a lot of reforcing at the bottom of the slab. It is more of a tube holder at that point.

Around here concrete finishers swear the mixed in fiber mesh does more good then wire mesh. Of course commercial work will require rebar or heavy mesh suspended in the slab.

Kinda the lesser of two evils. Risk the tube floating to within the saw blade, or sacrafice some temperature and performance???

hot rod

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

Unknown

foam staples

Are also available from Roth or Watts. 1-1/2" amd 2-1/2" for installation in 1" or 2" foam.

The Roth stapler (read TACKER) is 1/2 the price of the Watts and is heavier. The Watts foam Stapler is spring loaded and lighter.

Both work great. Both hold great. Both use the same staples (I love mutliple sources for the same stuff!)

Grundfos' new plant in Allentown was installed using the Roth tacker with great success.

wheels

Royboy

thanks, guys

I wasn't tuned into the staple mode til now but checked with one of my wholesalers this morning and they can get me a stapler for $209 (which sounded pretty good compared to a wirsbo model from another supplier for $381). they weren't sure but thought it might be a roth.

so a stapling I will go. got a couple pretty big bags of zip ties now should anyone need them ... :-)

Roy

Royboy

spacing?

one followup: any comments on the spacing you find works with the foam staples? wanting to order roughly the right amount.

thanks!

Royboy

I have been spaced

... or so it seems.

My question was aimed at the spacing you find needed between foam staples. I'm familiar with zip ties to mesh or rebar, where I can go 3-4' between ties on straight runs, and use a couple ties on 90s, etc. I suppose it will be similar with staples but I just hate it when I run short ...

I think I got the picture on the bucket approach - you're using it as kind of a bending form for making your turns. I gather it is a full bucket so the tube doesn't move it around? I've always just held the tubing with my foot as I went.

Thanks - Roy

S Davis

Staples

Roy,


We usually go about 18"-24" and four staples at the 180s, you do have to use more than you would with zip ties or twist ties but the time savings more than makes up for the added cost.
We use mostly 5/8" tubing on slab jobs so need more ties at the 180s.
I figure one staple per foot of tube and usually have some left over, that way if you do alot of bends you will have enough.


S Davis

Apex Radiant Heating

S Davis

Apex Radiant Heating

Ted_5

How much for a box of the 2\" staples?

I have a source for 2" staples that fit in almost all of the guns. They have 1 more barb then the others and are held together by running a hot knife over them not with tape like the others. They cost $34.00 per/box of 300 pluss shipping.

Ted

Royboy

well, I'm curious

since that's a fair bit less than I understand they would cost from my regular wholesaler. details? ted, are you distributing these or passing on a deal that you've found?

not having used these staples before, do the barbs end up in the foam or on the back side of it?

thanks - Roy

Royboy

appreciate

the guideline. looking forward to trying this approach. Roy

Carlos_2

Try ours

Our staples are 2" long and are made 'attached' so there will be less chances of jamming, unlike staples from other manufacturers in the market. Our tool only weighs about 4lbs and comes with a Life Time Guanrantee. More importantly we are priced alot cheaper than the other tools and staples in the market.

Ted_5

Yes, I can ship them out to you.

I do distribute them. How many are you looking for?

Ted