Radiant Heat Overview

Concrete Slab Radiant Heat Under Floor Radiant Heat Hold your hand over a hot cup of coffee and feel the radiant heat. The logical conclusion is that heat rises. Logical maybe, but incorrect! "Hot air" rises but "heat" can travel in any direction. That is why you can feel the radiant heat of the cup when you place your hand to the side of it. Radiant heat transfer is caused by a warm surface giving up its heat to a cooler surface. The radiant heat travels in the form of infrared light which is absorbed by the cooler mass.

Whenever there is a temperature difference between two surfaces, both surfaces will attempt to equalize. Radiant heating energy travels through space without heating the space itself. It only turns into heat when it contacts a cooler surface. Our human comfort relies just as much on radiant heat transfer as it does on air temperature, yet the majority of heating and air-conditioning professionals think only in terms of air temperature. As a result, Americans are missing out on a truly comfortable living environment in their own homes or places of business. By controlling both the air temperature and the radiant transfer, radiant panel systems deliver a comfort that is unsurpassed.

Types of Radiant Heating

Concrete Slab
Concrete Slab Radiant Heat Under Floor Radiant Heat The radiant heat tubing is attached to the wire mesh using copper wire ties. The radiant heat tubing should be embedded in the concrete in the bottom third of the slab thickness. This puts the structural mesh in the correct location. Care should be taken to insure that the radiant tubing is not exposed on the bottom of the slab. Wire mesh "chairs" can be used to support the wire mesh up off of the insulation. An insulation such as Insul-Tarp must be placed between the ground and your wire mesh prior to laying your tube. This provides a vapor barrier and directs the radiant heat energy upwards into the heated space.

Under Floor Radiant Heat
Concrete Slab Radiant Heat Under Floor Radiant Heat The radiant heat tubing is attached to the underside of the existing subfloor using aluminum heat transfer plates to spread the heat evenly under the subfloor. Astro-Foil is placed in the joist space beneath the aluminum plates with a 1-inch airspace between the Astro-Foil and the bottom of the aluminum plates. For the best results, additional insulation such as fiberglass or foam can be installed below the Astro-Foil. Obviously, care must be taken when nailing any floor covering from above.

Thin Slab Radiant Heat
Concrete Slab Radiant Heat Under Floor Radiant Heat The radiant heat tubing is attached to the wood subfloor with staples to hold them in place until a lightweight concrete, or gypsum underlayment is installed as the final subfloor. Gypsum products bond to the subfloor and are generally thinner and lighter than concrete products.

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