Joist Bay Radiant and return air ducts

Joe B.

I just looked at a ranch house that was finished about a year ago. The owner had tile installed on wonder board through all of the house except the bedrooms. The subfloor has about a thousand screws protrude at least one inch below it. The owner had some concerns about grinding them down for joist trak panels.I am thinking joist bay radiant with hangers and this is my question. The system has duct work already installed for hot air and cooling. What do I do around the return air panning in those joist bays? Do I just run up to it and hope the tile floor above will spread some of it's load? If I pull the panning down temporarily to run the tubing, am I asking for trouble? I can't insulate below it for obvious reasons and won't it just waste heat to the return duct work. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Joe B.

Joist Bay Radiant and return air ducts

I just looked at a ranch house that was finished about a year ago. The owner had tile installed on wonder board through all of the house except the bedrooms. The subfloor has about a thousand screws protrude at least one inch below it. The owner had some concerns about grinding them down for joist trak panels.I am thinking joist bay radiant with hangers and this is my question. The system has duct work already installed for hot air and cooling. What do I do around the return air panning in those joist bays? Do I just run up to it and hope the tile floor above will spread some of it's load? If I pull the panning down temporarily to run the tubing, am I asking for trouble? I can't insulate below it for obvious reasons and won't it just waste heat to the return duct work. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

hr

Yeah, the duct work

really complicates things. I would look, or measure, how much of the area is encumbered by ductwork. Consider the time to drop this and get a system installed, and INSULATED, above that tin! It may not pencil out to be a very "sellable" job, when the hours and hassle are calculated.

Ideally those screws would disapper and plates cound be installed. Again a very labor intensive job. Grabber screws usually break off easily. But not always flush to the floor! Suspended tube would be risky, as it could get into those sharp screw points when installed or insulated!

I think I would look long and hard, and be fair in your labor hour calculations to accomplish this install

The only duct issue, that is almost impossible, is where they "pan off" joist bays for return air. I've yet to find a way to tube, and insulate this detail without reducing the size and CFM carring ability of those bays. Not a great place to install fiberglass, either! Plus the hassle of dropping and refastening that tin. As you can tell, I've been down that road Same with dropping the supply ducting to work above it

Any radiant ceiling options?

hot rod

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