I’d like to heat my 40 year old slab on grade kitchen floor. Am considering using InFloor Board 2. It’s a 5/8 inch OSB product routed for 3/8 PEX tubing. Manufacturer says I can float it over concrete. Would like to then glue/staple 1/2 inch engineered oak flooring on top. Looking only for supplemental heat and warm feet, not a primary heat source for room. Pros/cons to my approach?
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Replies
MN
Nothing wrong with the approach.
A couple yrs ago I installed a homemade product similar to what you draw a picture of.
We ripped 5/8's (I think) osb for the straights and then made (routed) the curved returns out of additional rips. The routing produced the return loop slot while also making the half moon blocks to infill the underlayment.
We however had a wood subfloor we fastened the osb to instead of a slab.
The homeowner then ran aluminum transfer plates that snapped into the groove we left between the rips. I believe he stapled that down to the osb and then his pex friction fit into the aluminum groove.
We used a floating floor over this with a padding/vapor barrier between. Kaars was the flooring, and their radiant friendly pad was ordered with it.
Be carefull and give some thought to stapling (hose remember) and make sure you investigate the glue as well-you don't want to have that soften up down the road. I'll email a member who specializes in radiant heat for some more info for you.
This replaced the old cast iron baseboard HW heat in the space. The pex may have been 1/2 inch.
Believe I did a photo example here but I suppose that was lost along with thousands of other valuable info during FHB's forum software change.
depends
I'm not a fan of that particular product, but the idea is ok. If your slab on grade is not currently insulated though, you want an insulation layer in there. Roth Panel includes insulation and radiant layer all in a 3/4" to 1" profile panel. but you definitely want a floating floor over it.
What do you dislike about In-Floor-Board? Did you work with the original In-Floor-Board or In-Floor-Board-2?
M
I'm glad Rob mentioned the probable need for an insulation layer above the concrete-I thought maybe so, but being just a dumb carpenter, with HW radiant IN the slab for the past 23 yrs.........I kind of figured you'd want to divorce the slab from the heat in this case.
Is piping in the PEX the easiest solution? I ask as an electric heat mat under the floor with an included programable thermostat would seem better for a warming task.