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.

New Radiant Job for Maine

is a slab on grade summer place in Maine to be built in the spring. We are going radiant all the way with this one. My son and I will be building together.

Here is my question: What is the best flooring to be placed over a cement floor with tubing set 4" below surface.

The kitchen and bath are going to be some brand of ceramic any suggestions welcomed.

The main floor area will be wood again looking for suggestions.

The last thing is the bedrooms are going to be carpeted again what can we do to insure good heat transfer with carpet.

I look forward to your suggestions.

Comments



  • for carpet, you want a slab rubber pad, and thin synthetic carpet on top if possible.

    for wood, what you can get away with depends on your heat load, and you need to make sure one is done before you put a foot of pipe in that home. The best is an engineered floating floor, if possible.

    I don't know particular tile products, but any tile product is a good match over radiant.

    Make sure that slab gets insulated!

    To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"
  • Al Letellier_2
    Al Letellier_2 Member Posts: 15
    radiant in Maine

    Tim, we do quite a bit of radiant up here in Maine, and basically, you can use any floor covering you want. However, you have to design for it and may need multiple zones with multiple temps and possibly some supplemental heat or wall radiant to make up the difference. We use -20* as design low temp up hear, 'cause it gets damn cold. Just plan ahead and pick floor coverings before doing heat calcs, no after. Where in Maine?
  • Matt_21
    Matt_21 Member Posts: 140
    make sure the

    carpet and pads r value is below 2.5 or you could have some problems. as far as hardwood, it should be a floating floor.
  • S Davis
    S Davis Member Posts: 491
    Kahrs

    If you go with a floating wood floor take a look at Kahrs it can be refinished twice and is very stable with radiant.

    www.kahrs.com

    S Davis

    Apex Radiant Heating
  • Jed_2
    Jed_2 Member Posts: 781
    Slab Edge

    Tim, make damn sure there is good slab edge insulation. You probably already know this, but I have seen far too many that weren't - U$$$$$$GLY.

    Jed
  • Al it is located

    in Bridgton, Maine. Thanks everyone for all the good advice so far. All of the jobs we have done in RI and Mass we have super insulated the outer walls and ground area. They have all been great so far.

    Floor coverings have been something I have discovered can become a problem after the fact as people add things not planned for. We just want to get all the input from as many people as we can about possible problems or things they have run into.

    It is interesting two of the floor covering stores I visited did not even know that radiant in floor heating existed and obviously had no idea what to recommend. We will be shopping elsewhere I am sure.
  • Maine Ken
    Maine Ken Member Posts: 531


    Bridgton is one of those areas in Maine that can get really cold even when other areas are relatively warm. Its neighbor, Fryeburg is routinely one of the coldest places in Maine!!!!

    To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"
  • Yes Ken I know and

    we are right on top of a mountain overlooking a ski slope on the opposite mountain very very cold.
  • Al Letellier
    Al Letellier Member Posts: 781
    Shawnee peak

    I'm not much of a skier...working in the cold is bad enough, let alone playing in it too....great fishing in Moose Pond though.....let me know if I can help in any way. Driving right by there tomorrow....

    To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"
This discussion has been closed.